


Ricochets Off The Moon

by bri_ghtly, TeoMoy



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2021, Alternate Universe - Music, Anal Sex, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pop Star Neil Josten, Rapper Andrew Minyard, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, musicians au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:40:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bri_ghtly/pseuds/bri_ghtly, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeoMoy/pseuds/TeoMoy
Summary: Successful but infamous rapper Andrew is forced to pick an artist for the opening act of his tour and a collaboration.Ever the instigator, Andrew chooses rookie pop star Neil, an artist whose music is as different as it gets from Andrew's. Neil's surprised and pissed over Andrew's ideas about his music, that it doesn't really feel like Neil and seems faked and forced, but when the two have to work together Neil discovers that maybe Andrew wasn't so wrong.
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 28
Kudos: 97
Collections: AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2021





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Here’s the first chapter for my reverse big bang fic!!  
> I worked with the amazing TeoMoy who was so helpful and supportive (and gets full credits for the awesome summary!!). I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing artist to work with and you should definitely go and check out her art work!! (Link to her [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TeoMoy), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/teomoy/) and [Tumblr](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/))  
> Also a massive thank you to [Fal](https://itsstickball.tumblr.com/) who beta read this fic. Thank you so much for all of the advice and help!!  
> I’m so excited to finally share this with you all, I hope you enjoy it!!
> 
> LINK TO ALL THE ARTWORK FOR THIS FIC [HERE](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/post/645798676031258624/successful-but-infamous-rapper-andrew-is-forced)

The email glares at Neil from his inbox.

‘TOURING WITH ANDREW MINYARD!!!’

Neil didn’t really think the exclamation marks were necessary but, if anything, his manager Dan was an over user of smiley’s and exclamations. Considering that was the only problem Neil had with Dan, he’d learnt to deal with it.

He opened the email. He was sure whatever Dan was sending him wasn’t as exciting as the all capitals and excessive exclamation marks of the subject line made it out to be.

_Good morning Neil!!! :)_

_Last night I had a phone call with a very important manager about a very exciting offer._

_Apparently Andrew Minyard needs an opening act for his tour and he’s requested you!!!!!!!_

_Mr. Wymack called me last night to see if you’d be interested. I said I’d need to check with you first, but I’m sure you would be very interested._

_I let him know that the final decision was up to you though. I know it may be a little strange for you to tour with a rapper, but it would be some great publicity and exposure and I really think you should say yes._

_Please call me when you wake up and check your emails._

_Talk soon_

_-Dan :)!!!_

Neil stares blankly at the email for a minute before hitting the refresh button and making sure it’s still there.

He knows who Andrew Minyard is. Hell, anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the last few years knows who he is. The rapper had risen to fame when the first song he’d released had been a smash hit and the songs to follow seemed to only boost his popularity. 

Andrew Minyard from the moment he became popular, became infamous. He was known for being short with interviewers and rude to paparazzi. He was seemingly unafraid of the image he was building for himself but it hadn’t stopped people liking him, in fact, it probably made people like him more.

And now Neil had the chance to tour with him. Neil sits his coffee cup on the small table next to his couch and reads the email again.

Of course the offer was amazing but Neil can’t help feeling a little confused. Andrew was a rapper, known for his bass heavy, hard hitting beats and smooth, melodic flow. Neil was, well, not that. Neil was a pop artist, known for his upbeat, cheery songs.

He was honestly confused how Andrew’s team had even found his music, he was by no means mainstream and he had the tiny apartment and unpaid bills to prove it.

He looks at the email one last time, just to confirm he’s not dreaming and then pulls up Dan’s number so he can call her.

She answers after the first ring.

“Did you see it?” Dan asks him and Neil can hear the excitement in her voice.

“Yes.”

Dan lets out an excited little squeak, “NEIL! This is such a big opportunity! I couldn’t sleep all night. Matt wanted to kill me, I kept waking him up.” Matt was Dan’s boyfriend of three years.

“I wanted to come and wake you up to tell you. What do you think about it?”

“I’m a little….confused.”

“What’s confusing Neil? One of the biggest rappers in the industry has asked you to open for him. This is a stadium tour Neil! You will be playing to thousands of people every night!”

“But he’s a rapper.”

“So?”

“So… so, I’m a pop musician who’s lucky to sell out a four hundred capacity venue. Why am I being picked as an opening act?”

“Well Mr. Wymack-

“Wait who’s Mr. Wymack?” Neil interrupts quickly.

“Mr. Wymack is Andrew’s manager.”

“Oh, ok.”

“Anyway, Mr. Wymack said they gave Andrew a list of artists and played snippets from them all and that Andrew picked you.”

Neil stays silent for a moment, stunned. A famous artist had heard his music? And liked it enough to ask him to tour with them?

It hits Neil then, this opportunity that is being placed in front of him. The chance to play for hundreds of thousands of people. To grow his audience, hopefully enough that he can start paying Dan more and pay his bills on time.

“Holy shit!” Neil says eventually.

“There we go! That was more of the reaction I was expecting. Neil, think of all those potential fans!” Dan lets out another excited squeal.

Of course he loves his current fans and is thankful for all of them, but the chance to play for more people, to have more people enjoy his music and come to his shows, that could be life changing.

“Wow Dan! This is-, I-, I don’t even know what to say.”

“So that’s a yes right? You’ll tour with him?”

“Of course!” Neil knows that touring with a rapper as a pop artist is a bold move and he knows that not everyone will like it but the fact that some people might is enough for him to agree whole-heartedly.

“Yay!” Neil’s pretty sure he hears Dan clap her hands in the background as she cheers, “Well, Mr. Wymack said that if you agreed to open for Andrew then he would send through all the paperwork and the contract so we can read through it and sign it.”

“That sounds great Dan. Can you forward it through to me as well and let me know what I have to sign?”

“You got it Josten! Ahh, this is so exciting! By the end of this tour even my aunt will know who you are!”

Neil just laughs at her, he can’t help the grin on his face though. Dan’s attitude is always infectious.

“I’ll call Mr. Wymack and get him to send everything through. I can’t believe we’re doing this!”

Neil’s smile widens, “Neither can I.”

The process of signing as an opening act for a nation-wide stadium tour seemed to go by in a blink and before Neil knew it he was packing for 6 weeks on the road the night before he set off.

Dan had walked him through the contract, explaining that while he wouldn’t be getting paid a lot it was more than she’d heard some opening acts get paid, and as part of the contract Neil was obliged to record a song with Andrew by the end of the tour. All of Neil and Dan’s flights and accommodation were going to be paid for. There was also a bunch of other legal stuff that had made zero sense to Neil but Dan seemed to be happy with.

They’d both signed what needed to be signed and before Neil knew it, it was the night before they were to meet Andrew and set off for the tour. Andrew’s manager, Mr. Wymack, had said they would prefer if Neil met Andrew at his own house. Both Dan and himself were heading over there in the morning so that they could meet before going to the airport and setting off for their first location.

Dan had been asking him for the last week to start packing and he’d told her he had, but in truth he’d been too busy watching Netflix, writing songs and being in a state of nervousness to even think about packing. Here he was the night before he was due to leave for six whole weeks trying to pack everything he’d need in a few hours.

By the time he’d finished it was three in the morning and, even though he was exhausted, when Neil finally laid down to sleep he found himself unable to close his eyes for more than a few minutes, too pent up about the idea of performing for thousands of people and the fact that he would be meeting Andrew Minyard tomorrow.

He has some friends in the industry, people who he said hello to if he got invited to events or got to perform at festivals, but no one he knew had the fame and recognisability that Andrew did.

Even Neil, who didn’t like rap music, found it too aggressive and nonsensical, knew who Andrew Minyard was and although he didn’t like to admit it, he did like Andrew’s songs. Somehow Andrew’s music seemed to pass through Neil’s ‘intense rap dislike’ barrier. The first time Neil had heard one of Andrew Minyard’s songs he’d been at the grocery store. He was quickly walking through the aisles trying to find something to cook for dinner when the song playing over the speaker had caught his ear. Something an artist’s voice made Neil take notice, the way the voice flowed smoothly over the beat and almost melded with the music. Neil had stopped where he was in the middle of the aisle to listen, almost in a trance. He immediately pulled out his phone and had found out the rapper was an up and coming artist: Andrew Minyard.

Neil had gone home that night and after making his pasta had sat on his couch and searched up Andrew on Spotify. He only had an EP and one single out, but Neil could see that one of his songs had millions of plays and Neil understood why. It wasn’t like any rap music Neil had heard before, the lyrics weren’t pointless or meaningless and as Neil listened he came to appreciate the word play and hidden meaning put into so many lyrics.

He was loathe to admit it but from that point on Neil had been a fan of Andrew Minyard.

Neil realised it hadn’t really hit him that he’d be meeting that very man tomorrow, that he’d get to meet an artist he looked up to and one of the biggest names in music right now.

And any hope at all that Neil had of sleeping that night flew out the window with that very thought.

Neil let out a sigh, pulling his laptop off his bedside table and opening it up to watch some Netflix, now feeling wide awake and with the signature nervous swirling in his stomach.

Neil woke up to the shrill ring of his alarm and winced at the soreness he felt in his neck. He reached up to rub it, realising he’d fallen asleep sitting up. His laptop was dead in front of him and he groaned as he rolled his neck and then he remembered what day it was.

Today he’d set out for a nationwide stadium tour. With Andrew Minyard.

Neil carefully placed his laptop back on his bedside table before throwing off his covers and vigorously starting to get ready for the day.

He had planned his outfit last night, a pair of dark blue denim jeans and a yellow hoodie with a blue hood and strings. He pulled it all on quickly, his heart already beating fast and a now seemingly constant twitch of nerves in his stomach.

Neil was pouring the milk into his cereal when his phone started ringing, he quickly grabbed a spoon before moving to the couch and answering his phone.

The noise that came from his phone didn’t sound human, more velociraptor or tea kettle.

“NEIL!” Dan yelled after she’d finished making her strange but oddly endearing noise of happiness, “Today’s the day!”

“I know.” Neil tried to go for ‘nonchalant’ but he was pretty sure his voice rose with excitement.

“I’m in a taxi coming over to yours now. We have to be ready to go to Andrew’s at seven thirty. We’re leaving his house at eight fifteen, and the plane leaves at ten.” Neil had memorised the schedule the night before but he let Dan finish, knowing she always felt more organised if she was able to state a plan.

“Sounds good, I’m just having breakfast now. Do you want anything? Coffee, toast?”

“No I’m too excited to eat, I’ll see you soon though. Be ready!”

“Will do.”

Neil barely finished his sentence before Dan hung up.

Neil looked back down to his cereal, now soggy. He knew he should eat but his anxiousness was making him feel nauseous rather than hungry. He scooped up a spoonful and forced himself to eat it, knowing he’d need all the strength he could get if he was going to make it through the day.

Dan’s leg wouldn’t stop bouncing up and down next to Neil, he almost said something to her about it but he was just as bad, hands wringing in his lap as he bit at his on his bottom lip.

A car had been sent over to Neil’s apartment to pick them up, it was fancy and black, the windows tinted. Neil didn’t know a lot about cars but he knew this is a nice one.

Dan was flipping between extremely excited and extremely nervous, either way she wasn’t shutting up. Neil knew she was a nervous talker and any time before an important meeting she’d be chewing his ear off. Today was no different as she chatted away about something Matt had done last night.

Neil was thankful for the chatter. It gave him something to focus on and he knew without it he’d be spiralling in his own head. Thinking of all the things that could go wrong, it had been all that had been running through his head before Dan had arrived. What if he forgot to pack something? Or if Andrew didn’t like him? Or if it was all some big joke?

Neil tuned back in to Dan’s chatter to avoid those thoughts going any further.

He was so distracted that he didn’t even notice when they pulled up outside of a giant house and the car switched off.

Dan’s leg pausing its erratic up and down movements was what clued him in. He looked up and through the darkened window he saw the house they’d parked in front of.

It was huge, even the tall gates and trees in front of it didn’t fully block the view and Neil could see what looked like a mansion rising up behind the fence.

“Woah.” Neil managed to breath out.

“We’re in the big leagues now.” Dan said turning to him with a smile, she looked nervous but there was also so much excitement and happiness shining in her eyes.

“You made it Neil.” She whispered.

“Well, not really. I made it to the house of someone famous.”

Dan laughed and hit him lightly on the arm.

“Close enough.” She pushed open the door and stepped out onto the street in front of the house.

Their driver waited for them at the entrance of the gates and when Neil and Dan came to stand beside her, she buzzed the small button to the side of the fence.

“Who is it?” A voice crackled through the speaker.

The driver talked to the voice for a minute before a loud clicking sound and the gates opened.

Neil and Dan were silent as they walked through the gates and made their way up the extravagant path to the front door of the house, which someone was now opening for them.

“Dan, Neil.” The man at the door called, “Nice to finally meet you.”

He reached out a hand and Dan stepped forward to shake it before he turned to Neil. Neil noticed the beginning of a tattoo on his wrist that disappeared under the sleeve of his shirt.

“I’m Mr. Wymack, but you can call me David. Come in, we don’t have too long before we’ll have to leave for the airport but I can show you around.”

Neil didn’t say anything as they entered the house, Dan did enough talking for the both of them anyway. Obviously her nerves hadn’t settled.

They stepped into a large foyer with a grand staircase right in the middle leading up to a second level.

Mr. Wymack, or David, started leading them around the house, showing them one excessive room after the other. He then led them into the kitchen where there was breakfast food piled up on the bench.

“Do you want anything to eat?” David asked as they walked through.

Neil shakes his head but Dan steps towards the bench and grabs a croissant, obviously now feeling well enough to have some food.

“Thank you.” She says to Mr. Wymack as she takes a large bite.

“Of course.” David says before turning again to continue through the house.

Neil hadn’t really stopped to picture what Andrew Minyards house would look like but in the back of his mind he always thought it would be fancy and modern with all the latest technology and gadgets. Neil spots a few things that he’s pretty sure he’d have no idea how to use but for the most part the house looks like a regular house just bigger, brighter and cleaner.

Wymack starts taking them up the giant staircase in the foyer and explains that most of the bedrooms are on the second floor. “Oh and the studio.” He adds and Neil turns quickly to look at him.

A private studio? Neil supposes that makes sense, what with Andrew being one of the biggest names in hip hop, but a private studio is still a private studio and Neil can’t help getting excited that he might get a peek at it.

David walks them past the doors on the second floor without really stopping at any of them but as they reach the door at the end of the corridor he pauses out the front.

He knocks softly at it.

“Come in.” Says a voice Neil recognises.

He can’t even have a minute to figure out if he’s nervous or excited about the fact that he’s about to meet Andrew Minyard before the door is being pushed open and David steps inside, Dan following behind them.

Neil lets out a tiny gasp of exclamation as he walks into the room. It’s beautiful.

There’s one window and the rest of the room is lit up by a pink LED light that spells out the words “Don’t overthink it” in fancy cursive writing, it casts a soft pink glow over the rest of the room.

Neil takes a minute to scan over the room, there’s a shelf filled with gold awards and a vending machine of snacks in the corner. There’s a mixing desk, with a piano and a lot of buttons. There’s a glass window that looks into a recording booth, fit with a microphone and a guitar in the corner.

And then Neil turns to the other side of the room and sees, inexplicably, cats. The cats startle him so much that he doesn’t even notice the literal celebrity sitting right next to them. One of the cats sitting on a giant tower stands up and stretches lazily and Neil feels a little smile tug on his lips at the sight. And then he notices Andrew Minyard.

His smile falls away instantly from shock, mostly shocked that he noticed _cats_ before Andrew freaking Minyard. And Andrew’s looking right back at him.

Neil watches as Andrew scans his face. His eyes stop at the scars over Neil’s cheeks. His eyes widen slightly before he turns back to the laptop in front of him.

Neil lifts a hand to his face self-consciously, fingers running lightly over the scars there. He cover’s them in public and on stage so it makes sense that Andrew wouldn’t know about them and Neil supposes that reaction makes sense, he’s definitely had worse reactions. But he can’t help the way his chest tightens a little and his mind flashes back to the sound of screaming and the sharp scent of blood. He closes his eyes and drops his hand, taking a deep breath.

“Hey,” He hears the voice next to him and Neil shakes his head as he blinks his eyes open rapidly, turning to Dan.

“All good?” She asks, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Neil nods at her and takes another breath, pushing the thoughts from his mind.

He looks around again taking in the room. Andrew’s focused on his laptop, a cat rubbing against his leg, and Wymack is explaining something to Dan, motioning widely with his hands.

“Neil.” His deep voice says and Neil turns to the man.

“I’ve got to quickly run Dan through some contract stuff, are you happy to wait here for a few minutes before we head off?”

Neil nods silently.

“Great, take a set, we’ll be back soon.” Wymack says, gesturing to one of the chairs near Andrew before turning to exit the room, Dan following quickly behind him.

She turns to Neil just as she leaves the room and sends him a wink over her shoulder.

Neil rolls his eyes as he moves over to the chair, choosing to look at the cats instead of the celebrity in front of him.

Neil sits in the chair as quietly as he can and a cat Neil hadn’t even noticed comes over to him. Neil reaches down as the cat nears him, dangles his fingers as the cat sniffs him and then butts against his hand. Neil smiles and rubs his hand over the cat’s head.

“Do you have one?”

Neil’s head jerks up at the voice and his hand stills on the cat.

“No,” His voice comes out croaky and he coughs to clear his throat, which has seemed to have gone dry, along with his mouth. “No, my landlord won’t let me.”

Andrew hums and turns back to his laptop, Neil takes a minute to look at him. He knows from meeting other people in the industry that they’re always different from how they look in the photos and Andrew’s seems to fit that trend.

He’s sitting down but he looks shorter than he does in photos and his eyes seem a lot more hazel rather than the almost brown they seem in picture’s. His hair, usually styled to the side, is now falling into his eyes.

Neil looks into his lap when he feels something jump in it. The gray cat he’d been petting before has obviously decided that it wasn’t down being doted on and starts crawling from his lap up his body before settling around his neck.

Neil looks incredulously at the cat that is now right next to his face and he hears a soft laugh come from Andrew.

“She does that, doesn’t like to be too far from people.” Andrew explains.

“What about when you go away? On tour and stuff?” Neil’s thoroughly impressed with himself that he’d been able to ask a famous celebrity a question like a normal person.

“The house staff look after her and the other cats.” Andrew puts the laptop on a small table behind him and leans back in his chair, his hands linking behind his head as a head rest. Neil notices a flash of his signature black armbands under the grey hoodie he’s hearing. The media had a field day theorising over why Andrew wears the armbands He’s never seen without them, but any time he’s asked about them he just gets mad enough at the interviewer that they move on.

“They must miss you.” Neil says as he reaches up to pat the cat now laying around his shoulder and she starts purring. Neil can’t help but smile again.

Andrew just hums and Neil turns back to him.

“What are you working on?” Neil asks, more for something to say rather than as an invested intrigue.

“Want to hear it?” Andrew asks, his expression almost blank. Neil can’t get a read on him, can’t tell whether Andrew’s actually interested in Neil hearing his stuff or just offering to be nice.

“Sure.” Neil says anyway. He’ll be damned if he’s going to miss out on hearing an Andrew Minyard song early.

Andrew nods and pull’s his laptop back on to his lap and Neil hears buttons clicking and Andrew plugs a cord into the laptop and the sound of a connecting speaker puffs out.

Another cat jumps into Neil’s lap and he startles slightly, he hadn’t even noticed it walking over to him, he reaches out to pat it regardless as a song comes on over the speaker.

The beat is already enticing, Neil hears what sounds like a violin working through a heavy bass.

“I like the beat.” Neil says after a moment of listening.

“Thanks, better than that pop shit anyway.”

Neil’s brows furrow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you know, everything in pop sounds the same.”

Neil scowls at him, “I do pop.”

“Not always.” Andrew answers him with a pointed look and Neil startles a little.

Andrew’s right but Neil wasn’t expecting him to know. Neil’s very first EP, almost four years old now, had been a rock album; heavy on electric guitar and fast paced drum beats. He’d even played in a rock band in high school.

His first EP had flopped, even for a first project it had flopped, people put off by the old-school inspired rock. He’d switched to pop with his next single and it had instantly been more successful. Neil liked pop, it was fine, he was able to make it work but his love was for rock music.

The pop-rock of the 80’s, classic rock of the 70’s or the grunge of the 90’s anything with rock in the title and Neil was hooked.

“You listened to my old stuff?” Neil asks Andrew, surprised. He was proud of his first EP, of course he was. It would always be his first, the one straight from him, the hopeful sound of someone eager to make it in a ruthless industry, but he wasn’t proud of its reception. The low numbers and seemingly uneventfulness of it.

“Yeah, of course, you’re coming on tour with me. I ha-“

“Alright,” Wymack says as he strides through the door to the studio and Neil startles a little. Forgetting where he’d been for a minute.

“Time to head off.” And with a clap of his hands he spins and leaves the room. Andrew and Neil standing to follow behind him, Neil careful to gently push the cats off him as he does.

Neil looks at Andrew from the corner of his eye as he steps up beside him. Unbelieving that such a successful artist, that seemingly doesn’t like pop music, had just signed Neil, a pop artist, up for six weeks of opening shows.

It hits Neil a little more then: he’s here. He’s meeting Andrew Minyard. He’s about to spend six weeks playing for more people than he can even imagine. He hurries a bit faster after Wymack then not wanting them to change their mind and kick Neil out. Neil won’t miss out on this opportunity.

  
  


Neil wakes to someone shaking his shoulder.

“Neil.” The gentle voice says to his left.

Neil blinks his eyes open and startles a little as he remembers where he is.

“We’re about to get to the hotel.” Dan says and Neil looks through the car window at the city rushing past him.

Neil reaches up to rub his eyes, careful not to disturb the makeup covering his scars. He’s glad he’d had time to apply it in the car to the airport. He knew the likelihood of someone recognising him was low, but now that he was travelling with Andrew he thought it best to take all the precautions he could.

He stretches out his legs as fair as he can in the backseat of the taxi, excited to get to the hotel, just so he didn’t have to be squashed in a seat for much longer.

The flight had gone quickly, Neil watching a few movies as they travelled over the country, he’d been in economy class with Dan while Andrew and his team were in first class. He hadn’t seen any of them since the airport.

He must have fallen asleep on the way to the hotel, his lack of sleep the night before him finally catching up with him.

“When we get to the hotel, we’ll have some time to rest and settle in, then dinner and then it will be time for the show.” Dan said looking down at her phone.

Neil had been so caught up in meeting Andrew Minyard and travelling that he’d forgotten he would be playing tonight. It only hits him when Dan reminds him. He feels his chest get tight, his breath quickens and his stomach flutters.

Dan must notice because she gently puts her hand on his upper arm.

“Hey,” she says softly, trying to calm him. “You’ll be ok. You’ve done this before. It’s just a few extra people.”

Neil doesn’t mention how the few extra people are thousands of extra, instead he takes a deep breath and tries to calm his heart.

“Alright here we are.” The taxi driver says as the car stops.

Neil jumps out quickly, hoping the fresh air will help his nerves and Dan follow’s quickly behind before they head into the hotel.

_Hey, what room are you in?_

The text comes from an unknown number and Neil stares at it for a few seconds. They’d been in the hotel for about two hours, Neil had spent most of the time trying to distract himself on his phone and not think about the impending show.

He can hear Dan in the shower in the room next to his, she’s singing along loudly to the music playing from the small speaker she’d brought and Neil smiles at her voice as it cracks on a high note.

_This is Andrew btw_

Neil stares at the message.

Andrew Minyard is texting him asking for his room number, ok….

_Umm I think it’s 610, how come?_

He doesn’t get a reply but a few minutes later there’s a knock on his door.

Neil gets up slowly and walks over to the door, checking the peephole and seeing the top of a blond head. He opens the door when he realises who the blond hair belongs to.

“Hey.” Andrew says casually as Neil opens the door.

“Um, hello.” Neil doesn’t mean for it to come out as a question but he can’t help how his voice rises in confusion.

Andrew pushes into Neil’s room instead of saying anything and his eye’s scan the place.

“This is almost nicer than my room.” Andrew says, returning his eye’s to Neil.

“It’s fancy. You didn’t have to get me such a fancy room. I would have been happy anywhere.”

“You can thank Wymack for that. ‘Only the best for the supporting act’ he says. He’s just scared you’ll go to the press if anything scandalous happens.”

“Does something scandalous usually happen?” Neil asks, his interest piqued.

Andrew just shrugs his shoulders.

Neil hears a phone buzz and Andrew pulls his phone out of his pocket, checking the screen.

“Hey, I’m going for dinner with a friend from here. You want to come?”

“Yeah,” Nail says, surprised by the offer. “That sounds great, I’m starving. Can you give me like five minutes to get changed?”

Andrew nods, “I’ll be outside.” He says as he walks through the door and starts tapping on his phone screen.

Neil takes a moment to mentally freak out, before he starts digging through his suitcase for a nice outfit. He pulls out something he thinks will be ok.

He can still hear Dan in the shower so he sends her a quick text, telling her he’s going for dinner and does she want him to get her anything.

He then walks out his front door, shoving his wallet and phone into his pockets.

Andrew looks up from where he’d been leaning against the wall and focusing on his phone.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” Neil says as Andrew pushes himself off the wall.

“Do you need to tell your manager?” Andrew asks as they walk past Dan’s door.

“Nah, I texted her. She’s in the shower.”

“Man you’re lucky, Wymack would kill me if I didn’t tell him where I was going. He might as well put a tracking device on me.”

Neil lets out a small chuckle, “I’m lucky to have Dan. She’s great.”

Neil isn’t lying. He couldn’t have asked for a better manager. It had been a chance encounter when they met, Dan had been an employed dancer at a club he was playing at. They’d got to talking and Dan had offhandedly mentioned that she’d gone to college for a while studying management but had to drop out when it got too expensive.

Neil had been thinking about getting a manager at the time, as his songs had started to gain a little bit of popularity and he liked Dan enough to ask for her number and arrange a meeting.

From there it had just been a match made in heaven.

“Where are we going for dinner?” Neil asks, more for something to fill the silence than he actually minds.

“Just this Vietnamese place, I think. Renee picked it.”

“Renee?”

“Renee Walker, she lives here so she knows all the best places to eat.”

Neil barely hears him after “Renee Walker.” Renee Walker was almost as big as Andrew, a star in the RnB world who was renowned for making hits. Her popularity had only soared when she’d started dating world famous model; Allison Reynolds.

“You better not make that face when you meet her, she’ll think you’re crazy.”

Neil shakes his head a little and turns to Andrew.

“Renee Walker?” He asks, incredulous.

“Yes, she’s a friend of mine.”

Neil just opens and closes his mouth dumbly.

“Oh my God, you’re gonna be a nightmare.” Andrew says and as the elevator doors ping open. He grabs Neil’s upper arm and pulls him toward the back of the hotel where a car is surely waiting for them.

He manages to not make a fool of himself when he meets Renee. But it’s a close call, because although he’d been expecting Renee, he hadn’t also been expecting her beautiful, model of a girlfriend.

Despite their fame they’d both been super lovely and as soon as Neil started talking to them he’d managed to keep his cool, only going on a slight rant about how great Renee’s new album is.

“My manager’s going to be so jealous,” Neil says as he bites into the noodles he’d ordered for dinner, “She’s an even bigger fan of you than I am.”

Renee laughs at him, “Well I’m coming to the show tonight. You’ll have to introduce me to her.”

And then Neil freaks out again because he realises Renee will most likely be watching him perform. Renee, luckily, asks Andrew a question about a mutual friend to save Neil the embarrassment.

“You nervous about tonight?”

Neil looks up from his food to realise that Allison, sitting opposite him, had asked him the question as Renee and Andrew talk.

“Yeah, really nervous. I’ve played gigs before but this is so much bigger, so many people.”

“Well, I listened to your stuff when Renee told me who Andrew was touring with. You don’t need to be nervous, I love your music. I’m sure everyone at the show will as well.”

“Wow, thank you. That’s really kind of you to say. I can’t believe you’ve listened to my stuff.”

“Yeah, well Renee keeps me updated on what all her music friends are up to and I was looking for some new songs, so-“ Allison shrugs her shoulders and takes a bite from her food.

“Did you listen to his old stuff as well?”

Neil turns to the seat next to him, realising at some point Renee and Andrew had tuned in to their conversation.

“No, how come?” Allison’s voice comes out muffled through the food she’s chewing on. He looks over to Renee who’s just looking at Allison adoringly, she quickly leans over and presses a kiss to Allison’s cheek. Allison’s cheeks turn a little red but she keeps chewing her food.

“He started off as a rock musician.”

“Really? You don’t look like a rocker.” Renee exclaims and it’s Neil’s turn for his cheeks to heat.

“Ugh yeah, but people didn’t really like it. So I just stick with pop now.”

“Wow, well I’ll have to go back and listen to your old stuff.” Renee says with a smile.

“Oh, you really don’t need to do that. It’s not very good.”

“Well I loved it.”

Neil turns to Andrew again. Andrew just shrugs and gives him a ‘what?’ look and Neil’s furrows his brows.

“It’s good, that one song, what is it?” Andrew clicks his fingers as he thinks, “Ugh, Red Halo, that was amazing.”

Neil looks at him, shocked. Red Halo was one of the songs he’d been most excited about releasing. It was meaningful and painful and everything he wanted to be in his music. It had hurt when he’d seen people actively not enjoying the song. Tweeting him, confused by the lyrics or the beat. 

“Thank you, that song means a lot to me.” Neil says, looking down to his food, too scared to look at anyone at the table.

That song did mean a lot to him, it’d helped him through the darkest time of his life, it had made him feel like he could make sense of things again, like he had something to live for.

“Any time.” He hears Andrew say.

He looks up and finds three sets of eyes on him. He quickly takes a bite of his food and hopes someone will change the conversation, which luckily Allison does a few seconds later.

Neil let’s himself relax a little to enjoy the rest of the dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Here's chapter two, I hope you like it!!  
> This chapter can also alternately be titled 'the author recommends their favourite album's under the guise of narrative building'  
> Thank you to everyone that left kudos or comments on chapter one.  
> Thanks again to Fal for beta reading this chapter!

Neil can’t seem to get his heart to calm down.

He can hear people starting to fill up the audience, the constant noise of hundreds of people talking. The random burst of cheer’s or applause as part of the crew runs across the stage.

Neil and Andrew had left dinner and gone straight to the stadium for soundcheck. Neil had felt alright up until he’d stepped onto the giant stage and looked out on the thousands of empty seats.

The team hadn’t seemed to notice the panic that was coursing through Neil, instead getting him to test his guitar and mic and let the band test all the instruments.

He’d looked over to the side of the stage when his breathing had got out of control and the overwhelming largeness of the audience had started to catch up with him. He’d locked eyes with Dan who had looked at him worriedly and mouthed ‘ _Breathe’_ at him. His eyes had then caught on a head of blonde hair standing off to the side of Dan and when Neil looked over and spotted Andrew watching him his breathing had stopped altogether. Andrew was looking at him with intrigue and Neil had quickly torn his eye’s away when Andrew had raised a brow at him.

He knew people who said you got used to the crowds, to performing on stage and having people watch you. But Neil had never been able to get over his, at times, crippling nerves and it was only increasing as he started to realise he was about to perform for thousands of people.

“Oh fuck Dan.” Neil said as they waited in a small room off stage for Neil to get his cue to go on. He was sitting on the couch, the heels of his palms rubbing into his eyes, probably messing up his makeup but Neil wasn’t thinking of that right now.

“There’s going to be so many people. What if I mess up?”

“You’re not going to mess up Neil! I’ve seen you perform hundreds of times and you’re always perfect. They’ll love you. And if they don’t, well, they didn’t buy the ticket for you anyway.”

Neil laughs a little and removes his hands from his eyes.

“Wow, reassuring.”

Dan laughs at him and Neil feels a little of the tension in his chest ease. It only picks back up when there’s a sudden knock at the door.

“Come in.” Dan calls through the door.

Neil sighs when he sees Andrew and not the all black uniform of a crew member.

Andrew comes in and shuts the door. Neil sees Wymack through the gap in the door as it closes behind him.

“Hey, just wanted to come by and see how you were doing? And wish you good luck.”

“I’m freaking out but thank you.”

Andrew laughs at him, “I remember my first big show, it was a festival. I thought I’d pass out when I saw how many people were in the crowd.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me about lots of people.” Neil says as he slumps into his chair.

Andrew laughs again.

“Don’t worry, you’re the opening act. Half the crowd won’t even be here for your set.”

It’s Neil’s turn to laugh but oddly enough it does help, just talking to someone who knows this level of nerves and pressure helps. Neil relaxes his hands from the fists that they were clenched in.

Another knock comes at the door and this time it is a crewman.

“You’re up Josten.” The lady who pushes open the door seems surprised to see Andrew in the room but she doesn’t let it stop her from being on time as she tells Neil to hurry up and get to the sidestage.

Neil takes in a long, deep breath and closes his eyes.

This is what he was working for, a bigger audience, a chance to make it. He wouldn’t let his stupid nerves get in the way.

He stands up and Dan rises beside him to walk out the door with him.

He sends Andrew a smile as he walks past the boy and Andrew reaches out to grab Neil’s arm.

Neil stops dead in his tracks and looks down to where Andrew is gripping Neil’s bicep. Andrew quickly removes his hand.

“Break a leg.”

“Thanks.” Neil says, his heartbeat now out of control for a different reason.

“You’re going to do great.”

Neil nods and sends him a smile as Dan grabs his wrist to hurry him along.

“Maybe play an old song, for me?” He hears Andrew call out as he’s dragged down the hallway with Dan, he turns around to see Andrew looking at him. Neil gives him a nervous smile and Andrew sends him a thumbs up just as Neil rounds the corner.

Neil, surprisingly enough, hadn’t turned into a mess when he stepped up on the giant stage and looked around at the people in the audience. The seats weren’t all filled yet and the back of the mosh was still empty but it was more people than Neil had ever played for at one time.

Somehow though, as soon as he stepped up to the microphone and heard the polite cheers of the audience he was calmed.

In his nerves and anxiousness he’d almost forgotten that he loves performing. Loves engaging a crowd, watching people sing along to his songs and the way he’s able to make a whole crowd move.

He’d smiled, pressing his lips against the microphone, and closed his eyes. Preparing himself for the set and as the first notes of the song on his latest album had rung out around the crowd he’d felt himself fall into the familiar swing of performing.

He’d found that by the end of the set, most of the audience, who originally seemed to be listening out of boredom or lack of anything else to do, seemed to be having a good time, bobbing along to the music and Neil’s voice. He even noticed a few people mouthing along to the words and he smiled at them when he noticed, surprised that anyone in a crowd for an Andrew Minyard show would know the words to his songs.

He’d even noticed Renee and Allison in the crowd, in between the fence holding back the crowd and the front of the stage, they’d both waved at him when he’d made eye contact and despite being halfway through a song he’d waved back.

It was only as he was approaching the end of his set that he’d looked over to the wings and seen Dan staring at him with a massive grin and Neil noticed her eyes were glassy and reflecting the lights of the stage.

He’d also noticed Andrew standing in the side stage, looking at the ground and shaking out his arms, an act of relaxation or nerves, Neil wasn’t sure.

He’d turned back to the crowd as the time came for his final song.

“I was going to play a song off my new album but I’ve had a special request by the man you’re all here to see tonight.”

The crowd let out a giant cheer at the reference to Andrew, and Neil watched as people jumped up down excitedly or their faces split with big grins.

He walked over to the guitar player standing to his right, “Can I borrow this?”

The guitar player looks confused but hands Neil his guitar, Neil walks back to the mic stand pulling the guitar strap over his shoulder as he goes.

He gives the guitar a few experimental strums and listens as the noise comes back through the earpiece hooked around his ear.

He doesn’t waste time before jumping into the opening riff of ‘Red Halo’.

Neil works his fingers over the guitar quickly, the riff familiar even though it’s been a while since he’s played the song.

The drum player has either heard the song or quickly picks up the tempo because she starts to play alongside Neil and Neil turns around to give her a smile. As he slides into the plucking right before the opening words of the song he brings his lips right up to the mic, unable to help the smile on his face.

Neil sings the opening lines of the song, ‘here I lay staring at a Red Halo.’ He knows his voice comes out different when he sings rock songs, deeper and raspier, and as he looks at the audience he notices people looking back at him almost surprised.

He continues the song and as he sings the lyrics, he strums the guitar harshly. When he gets to the chorus the crowd goes a little wild, dancing along to the tune and nodding their heads along.

Neil feels like he could float away, this is what he was meant to be doing: singing the songs that mean something to him. This song had felt so precious to him when he first wrote it and it’s all coming back to him now, in flashes of memory.

How, for months after the incident he would religiously work on this song, put all his pain down in the lyrics, take his anger out on the guitar strings until his fingers bleed.

He puts all that feeling back into the song now and as he closes the song with one final hard strike of the guitar he barely even notices the tear slide down his face.

The crowd starts wildly cheering as the music ends and Neil shakes his head in disbelief, a massive smile splitting his face.

He knows his time is up so he steps up to the mic.

“Thank you so much!” He yells into the microphone and the crowd cheers back.

“I hope you all have a great time watching Andrew tonight. I’m Neil Josten, I had a great time performing for you all. Have fun tonight!” He steps back from the microphone and blows a kiss at the excited crowd.

He heads over to the guitarist and hands the guitar back before looking out at the sweeping, applauding crowd one more time and walking off stage into Dan’s arms.

She wraps him up tightly and Neil hugs her back with just as much force.

He spots Andrew over Dan’s shoulder, Andrews talking to one of the crew members and Neil takes a minute just to look at him.

He’s in his stage clothes, a black t-shirt exposing the tattoo’s all down his arms, Neil can see the top of one before it disappears under his black armbands. Andrew looks over at him when he's finished talking to the crew member and Neil sends him a giant smile and watches as Andrews eyes light up.

Dan pulls back from the hug and Neil looks down at her.

“You did it.” She says, arms gripping his biceps and shaking them slightly. “I’m so proud of you!”

Neil can’t help but laugh at her as she starts tearing up at the words. He pulls her into a hug again. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” He whispers in her ear and chuckles as he hears a sob next to his ear.

He knows that it’s not his _own_ stadium tour but he’d performed for thousands of people, and they seemed to like it. They’d been dancing along, bobbing their heads to the music and just the fact that Neil had had the chance to play for them all feels like his greatest accomplishment as a musician thus far.

They eventually get shooed along by crew and running high on the adrenaline of just getting off stage, as Neil passes Andrew he impulsively pulls the shorter man into a quick hug.

Andrew seems startled and doesn’t move but Neil pulls back quickly, Andrew is staring at him, stunned.

“Thank you.” Neil says with all the gratitude and emotion that he has, which is a lot at the moment.

Andrew shakes his head a little and Neil’s not sure if it’s the stage makeup making Andrew’s cheeks pink or a blush that’s spread across Andrew’s cheeks.

“No problem, you killed it up there by the way. Got them all pumped up for me.”

Neil laughs a little, “I think they’re just excited to see you. You’ve got good fans.”

Andrew nods at Neil.

“Good luck out there.” Neil says as he gets a slight nudge from one of the crew members and has to walk away.

He turns to look over his shoulder as he walks to his dressing room. Andrew’s looking back at him with a slightly mystified expression and Neil sends him a thumbs up. Neil watches a smile quirk Andrew’s lips before he turns around and heads to his dressing room so he can get changed and watch Andrew’s performance from the same section as Renee and Allison.

Neil wakes up and flips over in bed, it takes him a minute to remember the night before and when he does he bolts upright.

He’d performed last night to thousands of people! And they’d liked him!

He can’t help the grin that spreads on his face and he flops back down in bed, turning his head into the pillow and kicking his legs wildly.

The night had been amazing. After he’d performed, he got to go out and watch Andrew perform. Neil thought the crowd had been enthusiastic for him but they went down right crazy for Andrew. Singing along loudly to every word, even when it was so quick that Neil could barely make out what Andrew was saying.

Neil had been happy bouncing along to the music and was surprised when Renee and Allison had ventured over to him. He’d had to shout as he had introduced them to Dan, who’d been even more star struck than Neil. And they’d spent the rest of the night dancing along to the music together.

Andrew had looked over at them at one point, and Neil wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the lights or if Andrew had sent a wink at him when they made eye contact. Either way Neil had blushed furiously.

Andrew had been electric on stage, moving around, jumping up and down as the bass pounded through the speakers and effortlessly engaging with the crowd.

It had been a spectacular night and Neil now knew why Andrew was so popular.

Neil hadn’t had a chance to see Andrew before he was ushered out to a car and driven to the hotel. He hadn’t released how exhausted he was, the nerves and excitement of the day catching up with him, until he saw the bed in the middle of the room and practically flopped onto it. He’d managed to kick off his shoes and pull off his top and pants, barely remembering to plug his phone into the charger before he’d passed out.

It’s his phone now that breaks him out of reliving the night before.

He picks it up, only to find his screen full of notifications. He checks out the top one. It’s a text from Dan.

_‘LOOK AT THIS!!!!’_

Below is a link to an article, Neil clicks on it and reads the headline.

‘Young Artist, Neil Josten, Blows Away Fans Opening for Infamous Rapper Andrew Minyard’

Neil reads through the article. The writer describes how Neil had made the stadium seem alive and was enjoyable enough that, even as an opening act, people were excited. They’d finally written about Neil’s last song, how unique and electric it was. The writer had described how they were excited to see and hear from Neil in the future.

_‘!!!!! Last night doesn’t even feel real’_ He texts back Dan and she just replies with a bunch of smiling emojis.

Neil opens twitter and almost thinks his phone has glitched as he looks and sees the notifications maxed out.

He doesn’t even know where to start but he goes over to his verified notifications. At the top is follows from Allison and Renee and Neil’s surprised to see a number of other verified artists have also followed him. He’d gotten some more traction on his twitter when it was announced that he would be touring with Andrew, he’d even got verified, but nothing like this, with such popular artists following him.

He checks his mentions and scrolls through pictures and videos of him from last night, people saying how much they liked his set.

One of the videos of him performing ‘Red Halo’ has got thirty thousand likes and Neil’s eyes widen at the number.

He clicks on the video and scrolls through the replies.

‘This is so good. What?! Why haven’t I heard of him before??’

“Damn, should’ve got tickets to Andrew’s show, wished I’d listened to this before I’d decided not to.’

‘Why doesn’t he have any more songs like this?? I want more, his voice was made for rock!!’

Neil likes a few of the replies and then clicks the ‘write tweet’ button at the top of the screen.

‘Last night was one of the best night’s of my life. Thank you so much to everyone in the crowd and everyone that’s followed me and most importantly a massive thank you to @AndrewMinyard for this opportunity. I can’t wait to open for him for the next six weeks!!’

He shuts off his phone and puts it back on the bed side table and he just leans back on the pillows and stares at the ceiling. Unable to hide the smile from the massive high he’s on.

He hears a knock at the door and gets up quickly to answer. Thinking it’s Dan he doesn’t bother to put his shirt on, Dan had seen him without it before anyway.

He opens the door, and he really should have checked the peephole in the door because it’s not Dan standing in front of him but the one and only Andrew Minyard.

Neil squawks in surprise and lets go of the door handle and it closes quickly in Andrew’s face.

“Ughh, sorry! One second, let me put on some clothes.” He calls through the door.

Neil doesn’t hear anything but presumes Andrew is still on the other side of the door.

He picks up a plain t-shirt and pants from his suitcase and throws them on quickly before going back to the door to open it.

“Sorry.” Neil says sheepishly as he straightens out his clothes.

“That’s ok.” Andrew says, looking amused.

“What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go down and get breakfast? They have a buffet.”

Neil’s stomach answers for him with a loud rumble and Neil realises he hasn’t eaten since their early dinner last night.

“That would be great.” Neil says as he leaves the door open and moves to get his phone and key card to his room.

He looks in the mirror on the wall quickly and realises that his makeup must have rubbed off as he slept. Revealing the scars on his face.

He turns to Andrew, “Will there be people there? Or like cameras?”

Andrew has leaned himself against the door jamb and looks to Neil’s scared cheek as he realises why Neil’s asking.

He shakes his head, “There shouldn’t be, I get a secluded booth. You can cover it up if you want though. I don’t mind waiting.”

Neil almost thinks about not covering it up, but he’s too nervous that someone will see them. So he quickly thanks Andrew and rushes into the bathroom to throw on some concealer.

When he comes back out Andrew’s still leaning on the door jamb, looking at his phone.

“Alright let’s go.” Neil announces and Andrew looks up from his phone, stepping back to let Neil out of the door.

He thinks about checking to see if Dan wants to come with them to breakfast before he realises Dan has probably been up for hours and has gone somewhere fancy or healthy to eat. He also guiltily thinks that even if he had known she hadn’t had breakfast his desire to be with Andrew alone may have won out.

“Why do you hide them anyway?” Andrew asks and it takes a minute for Neil to realise what he’s asking about.

“I don’t want people to find out about them.” Neil says as they reach the elevator and Andrew clicks the button. Neil is ok with showing people his scars but doesn’t like when they start asking questions. Dan’s and a few of his friends from high school are the only ones that know the full story.

“How did you feel about your set last night?” Neil asks, changing the subject quickly.

Andrew probably realises what Neil’s trying to do but doesn’t hesitate to answer as they step into the restaurant of the hotel and are ushered to a quiet corner.

“I had fun, the first night is always nerve wracking. Sometimes I think I’ll forget how to do it.”

“What, perform?”

“Mmm, I’ve never felt that I was very good at performing.”

Andrew stands up and walks towards where the buffet is laid out and Neil’s mouth waters at the food in front of him. He helps himself, picking up eggs and bacon as he walks behind Andrew.

“What do you mean? You’re a great performer.” Neil says after they get their food and sit back at their quiet table.

“I’m an ok performer.” Andrew pauses to shovel some food in his mouth, “You’re a great performer. It’s why I picked you.”

“Firstly, you are a great performer, I was there, I saw it.” Neil says waving his knife at Andrew. “And second, since when did you see me perform before the tour?” Neil asks, unable to resist the food a second longer before he cuts off some of the crispy bacon with the urge to groan as the flavour bursts across his tongue.

“Some people are good at making music or writing lyrics but not performing it. I think I’m like that. I can do my songs but I can’t captivate an audience. That’s what you do. I make sure to watch videos of potential opening acts before I pick one. Even through a screen you made me want to shut up and listen.”

Neil can’t help the blush, he ducks his head and looks at his plate hoping to hide it.

“Thank you,” Neil says, he’s cheeks still feel heated so he keeps his eyes on his plate, “And I think you’re the same. You just don’t believe it.” He looks back up at Andrew so that he can see the earnest in his eyes.

Andrew just shrugs at him before getting another forkful of food and eating it.

“Ready for the bus ride?” Andrew asks him as they were walking down the hallways back to Neil’s room.

Neil groans, “I’d forgotten about that.”

“It’s probably not as bad as you’re thinking. You’re in the big leagues now, that means big buses.”

“Hmm, I’ve noticed everything in the big leagues is bigger.” Neil says with a pointed look from the top of Andrews' head to his toes, “Well, almost everything.”

Andrew opens his mouth in offence and shoves Neil’s shoulder.

“Hey, you’re not even that much taller than me!”

Neil laughs, “Yeah, but I’m not in the ‘big leagues’” Neil puts the last two words in air quotes and Andrew's face screws up with annoyance.

Luckily, Neil’s saved from whatever Andrew is going to say because Dan steps out of her room and into the hallway, keeping her door open with a foot wedged in.

“Where have you been?” She crosses her arms as she says it and gives Neil a pointed look.

“I just went for breakfast with Andrew.” Neil says, gesturing to Andrew, who’s standing next to him.

It seems that only then Dan realises who Neil is with.

“Oh.” She says uncrossing her arms. “ _Oh...”_

She raises an eyebrow at Neil and Neil rolls his eyes at the insinuation but can’t help the flutter in his stomach. Uh oh.

“Well, anyway, you’ve only got half an hour before we have to get down to the bus to head off. Hurry up.” She walks back into her room and closes the door behind her as she says it.

“I should get packing, and I need to shower.” Neil says, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the door behind him.

“Yeah, of course. I guess I’ll see you later, then.” Andrew says and starts moving down the hallway.

“Thanks for breakfast.” Neil says and is rewarded with the flash of a small smile over the shoulder.

Neil quickly walks into his room and closes the door resting against it, he shakes his head trying to clear that easy grin from his mind but it doesn’t seem to work.

He instead decides he better shower before he has to spend however long in a bus.

The last seven days of the tour have been amazing. Neil is even almost used to the bus.

They don’t perform every night, but the nights they do Neil leaves the stage feeling heady with the rush of adrenaline that the audience fills him with.

Since the first performance Neil’s nerves have calmed and he’s able to go about his days without being a total mess. He finds with each show he notices more and more people singing along to his songs in the crowd, and his follower count has been consistently climbing. Dan has sent him links to dozens of articles about himself, raving about things like ‘stage presence’ and ‘rapturous experience’.

To say Neil’s a little overwhelmed with the attention, is an understatement.

And then there’s Andrew, who always seems to be dragging him along to a dinner or breakfast or coffee with one famous person or another.

Neil likes meeting all these new people, but if he’s honest he prefers the times where Andrew takes him to something alone.

One time when Andrew had dragged Neil to his hotel room after claiming boredom and Neil had sheepishly admitted he wasn’t really a rap fan.

“I like your stuff though.” Neil had quickly amended when Andrew had given him a gobsmacked look, the look didn’t change with the admission.

“How can you not like rap music?” Andrew had said after a few seconds of incredulous sputtering.

“It’s just all so similar and none of the lyrics are particularly enlightening or, you know, good.”

The gobsmacked look returned to Andrew’s face as Neil had said that.

“You’re just not listening to the right rap. People could say the same about pop music.”

_But I’m not really a pop musician though._

The thought had popped into Neil’s head unbidden and Neil startled at it. He had thought about it for a moment and realised that while he did perform pop songs, he wasn’t a pop musician. It wasn’t where his passion was. And he found that people at Andrew’s shows had been loving his rock stuff as much, if not more, than his pop hits. His original EP was also making a comeback, it’s streaming numbers slowly rising.

“Well what’s the right rap?” Neil had asked instead of confessing his thoughts.

“Where to even begin, Josten.” Andrew had said as he pulled out his phone.

“Have you heard of Kendrick Lamar?”

“Of course.”

“Ok, have you listened to ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ in its entirety? Front to back?”

Neil had shook his head.

Andrew had groaned at him.

“How can you say you don’t like rap and haven’t listened to the greatest rap album of all time?”

“I don’t know, I just hear what’s on the radio.”

Andrew had screwed his face up, “Ugh, radio rap doesn’t count.”

“You’re on the radio!” Neil had protested.

“Much to my disgust.”

Well, when you go back to your room tonight, you open Spotify and you listen to ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, really listen ok? No skipping and make sure you listen to the lyrics!”

“Ok, ok.” Neil had agreed.

Later that night when he’d pulled open Spotify in bed he’d clicked on the first song in Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ and listened to the whole thing.

He hated to admit it, but he’d been entranced.

The jazzy backing track and the harsh lyrics were enough to suck him in and he couldn’t help but tear up as he listened to ‘u’ the lyrics hitting him like no other song had.

Andrew had asked him about the album the next day and Neil had had to grudgingly admit he’d enjoyed it.

Andrew had given him a triumphant smile, “I knew it!”

From then, over the past week Andrew had sent Neil home with albums and songs to listen to, artists and tracks he’d never heard before. First Andrew had started with his favourite albums. The sweet and smooth ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, the short but beautiful ‘Grey Area’, the hardcore rock blend of ‘TA13OO’ and the extravagant and elaborate ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’.

Neil had enjoyed all of them, much to Andrew’s delight.

“What’d I say, you were just listening to the wrong stuff.” He had said flashing Neil a big, cheerful smile.

Andrew only got that happy when he was talking about rap music. And every time he flashed that huge grin at Neil, so wrapped up in thoughts of his favourite music, going on and on about the sample in this song, or the lyrics in that one; Neil felt his stomach flutter and his heart leap.

Neil would have listened to the trashiest of rap to get Andrew to smile like that. And it was with that realisation that Neil knew he was screwed.

Neil Josten had an undeniable crush on Andrew Minyard.

Neil couldn’t deny that every show still made him nervous but with the overwhelmingly positive reception Neil was receiving from Andrew’s fans it meant that his anxiety before performing wasn’t debilitating.

Neil knew that touring with Andrew would do a lot for his career and music but he hadn’t realised quite how big the impact would be until Dan had given him the official statistics at the end of the first week of tour.

How his music streams had exponentially increased, his followers skyrocketing, offers from producers and artists for collabs.

Dan has been increasingly busy, on phone calls more and more often as the tour continues. And Neil’s guilt about her workload growing so much increased tenfold. He told her that when they get back from tour she could hire an assistant to help with the workload, which she’d been greatly appreciative of.

Dan was on yet another call now, as Neil prepared in the dressing room for his eighth performance on the tour. They’d been touring for just over two weeks now, the days beginning to blend together, combined with travel and performances and the certain hectic quality that came with touring.

Neil is just blending out the makeup covering his scar when someone knocks on his changing room door. Presuming it’s just Dan coming in from her call he yells out a quick, “Come in!”

Turning back to the mirror he startles a little when there’s a very obviously masculine cough from the doorway.

Neil turns quickly to see Andrew leaning back against the closed door into his room.

“Oh sorry, I thought you were Dan.”

Andrew coming into Neil’s dressing room isn’t as odd as it was the first time. He seems to stop by every few shows, trying to show Neil a new song or talk about what one of his famous friends has been up to.

Andrew just hums and moves over to sit on the couch, flopping into it as Neil puts down his makeup and turns to face Andrew.

Andrew has got his eyes closed and is leaning his head back on the couch. Neil studies him as he rests there, his blonde hair falling across his forehead, long lashes lowered on slightly pinkened cheeks. Neil’s eyes move down to Andrew’s muscled, exposed arms, trailing down the tattoos that only seem to be on display before and during a performance.

“What are your tattoos for?” Neil asks after another minute of staring and unable to help his curiosity.

Andrew blinks his eyes open and turns to face Neil before looking down at the ink on his arms.

He considers them for a minute before he points at the skeletal ribcage on his shoulder. The ribs are filled with a stylised spider web on one side and twining vines on the other.

“This was my first one,” Andrew starts and unable to help himself, Neil moves from his chair to the other side of the couch to get a closer look, “I got it after my first ever interview. I hate interviews, I don’t know if I’ve told you. You probably guessed. Always some desperate journalist trying to pry into my life, get as much information as they can, maybe something scandalous so they can sell a few more magazines.”

Neil nods in understanding, there’s always uncomfortable questions that come along with interviews, asking about girlfriends that Neil has zero chance of having, or about his first EP’s lack of success.

“Anyway after they published that interview the journalist wrote something about me being another ‘heartless superstar’, I got this the day after.” Andrew says gesturing down to his tattoo, “It was basically a giant fuck you to that lady.”

Neil lets out an unexpected laugh and looks over the tattoo again, admiring the way it forms to Andrew’s shoulder muscle, accentuating its bulge and the dip of where it meets his bicep.

Andrew’s finger then moves down to a little open window, a paper plane flying out one side and stars filling the other.

“This one I got to show me moving on from my past, to remind me I’m not my past.” Andrew trails his finger gently along the dashed line leaving the paper plane.

Andrew than manoeuvres’ his head so he’s looking down at the side of his neck and shoulder, pulling his t-shirt across so it’s more visible.

“The neck ones I got just because I thought they looked cool.”

Neil laughs, and unable to help the exposed skin brings his hand up to trail over where Andrew’s tattoo wraps around his neck. Andrew stiffens but doesn’t move away. Once Neil gets to the end of the tribal style line wrapped around the base of Andrew’s throat he drops his hand. His fingertip tingling at the memory of Andrew’s warm skin against him.

Andrew shifts then, facing Neil so his other arm is exposed.

He lifts up his arm, causing his bicep to flex, a movement which Neil’s eyes can’t seem to help but follow.

“Then there’s the knife.” Andrew says, pointing at where it’s tucked into his bicep. He doesn’t offer an explanation and Neil doesn’t ask. Andrew drops his arm instead.

“What about this one?” Neil says when it doesn’t look like Andrew is going to continue, reaching out to touch the tip of the tattoo that’s peeking over Andrew’s armbands.

All you can see from above the black fabric is what looks like the end of three leaves sticking out and Neil trails over them when Andrew doesn’t object to the touch.

Neil looks back up at Andrew’s face when he doesn’t respond after a minute. The first thing Neil notices is how close they are, the second is the considering look on Andrew’s face.

Neil stills his finger on Andrew’s arm and Andrew pulls his arm away but doesn’t move back from Neil, Andrew’s knee bumping Neil’s every time he moves.

Andrew looks down at his armbands as he pulls the one covering the tattoo off.

It’s a flower with thick black lines through it. Neil studies it for a moment before he notices the textured skin under the tattoo, the bumpiness of scars that even thick black ink can’t cover up.

Neil feel’s his heart stop and then ache as he looks down at the concealed, meticulous, scars.

“This is a Gladiolus,” Andrew said as he looks down at the tattoo, “It’s for strength and integrity.”

Without pausing, Andrew swiftly moves to his other arm to pull off the matching black armband.

There’d been a million guesses in the press as to why Andrew wore his armbands, everything from robotic limbs to fashion statements. Neil had never stopped to think about it but he understands them now, understands the desire to cover up scars.

The tattoo on Andrew’s other forearm is a different flower in the same style as the other one, matching thick black lines cutting through it as well.

“What’s this one mean?” Neil asks as he looks down at the intricate tattoo.

“It’s a Protea, it’s for change and transformation, diversity and courage.”

Neil looks down at the beautiful tattoo’s covering the hurt below them and reaches out his palms and places them over Andrew’s forearms. Covering the tattoo’s up completely with his hands and looking up to Andrew.

“These two are my favourite.” Neil says in earnest.

“Mine too.” Andrew replies softly.

Neil can feel the heat coming from Andrew’s skin and struggles not to tighten his grip on Andrew. Neil moves forward slowly closer to Andrew. Andrew stays where he is, eye’s locked on Neil’s. Andrew doesn’t give anything away except for his mouth parting slightly as he takes quicker breathes.

They’re interrupted by a quick knock on the door.

“One second.” Neil calls, breaking out of his reverie. Andrew pulls back from Neil quickly and tugs on his arm bands with none of the gentleness or deliberation he took them off with.

When the armbands are securely back in place Neil calls through the door that whoever is on the other side can come in.

This time it is Dan.

“You’re on in five,” She says not even raising her eyebrow at Andrew being in the room, “You better get dressed.”

Neil wakes a few nights later to a frantic knocking at his door.

He blinks his eyes blearily, unsure if the noise was the remnant of a dream. But when it comes again Neil groans and sits up in bed.

The knocking doesn’t stop as he gets slowly out of bed, still half asleep. He flicks on the bedside lamp and immediately shies away from the bright light.

He rubs his eyes and walks over to the hotel room door.

The door doesn’t have one of the little peep holes and Neil should probably put the safety lock on so whoever is in the hallway doesn’t barge in but he’s still half asleep brain obviously isn’t that concerned with safety as he pulls the heavy door open groggily.

“Whatisit?” his words come out in a mumble and rough.

“Listen to this.”

Neil startles at the voice, his eye’s open a little wider to see Andrew standing in front of him, reaching up to push headphones into Neil’s ears.

In his sleep-addled state Neil hadn’t really stopped to think about who might have been on the other side of the door but he certainly hadn’t been expecting Andrew.

They hadn’t really spoken since Andrew had shown Neil his tattoos, other than a few short conversations between travel, shows and sleep.

Once the headphones are in Neil’s ears, Andrew puts his hand flat on Neil’s chest, Neil can feel the heat from Andrew’s hand through the thin material of his pyjamas and his stomach flips at the contact.

Andrew uses the hand on Neil’s chest to push him backwards into the room, letting the heavy door close behind them. Andrew walks Neil backwards until his calves hit the bed.

“Lay down.” Andrew requests.

Neil feels something stir in his abdomen as he follows Andrew’s directions and lays down on the bed as Andrew still stands over him.

“Close your eyes.” Andrew asks as he sits down on the bed next to Neil.

Neil quickly obliges and his heart starts speeding up immediately, the endless possibilities reeling through his mind.

Neil had almost forgotten about the headphones in his ears until they started playing music.

It’s the tune of a slow and soft piano with a man sweetly harmonising over it. Neil feels immediately transported. The soft tune causing his heart to ache, the feeling of sadness only grows as a violin is introduced in the track.

The sadness of the song starts to play at him, his mind returns to his mum. The last day with her that he didn’t know was the last.

They’d gone out shopping, Neil thinks it was mainly just an excuse to get away from his father.

They should have stayed away from him. Neil remembers how mad he’d been when they got back; how he’d thrown Neil around, his mother screaming for him to stop. Neil hadn’t made a sound as his father had carved the deep cuts that had turned into scars on his face. His mother had done enough screaming for him.

And finally when his mother couldn’t watch Neil be hurt anymore, possibly spurred on by the unavoidable groan of pain Neil had let out as his father had put a lighter to his cheek, she’d run forward.

Neil remembers the wet crack of her skull against the counter, remembers the way he’d fallen to the ground, no longer held up by his father. He tried to crawl over to his mother, her eyes open but vacant, a pool of blood spreading like a halo around her head.

The last thing Neil remembered before the tiled ceiling and beeping of the hospital had been his fathers boot coming towards his face.

The voice in his ears starts singly in beautiful French, Neil doesn’t know what it means but the words sound glorious and heartbroken.

Neil feels a tear leak out of his closed eye and slide down the side of his face, tickling the top of his ear before it falls to the bed.

Neil flashes through memories of his mum, her happy and laughing, frightened and hurt, dead and soulless.

The song finishes in soft piano notes but Neil keeps his eyes closed, tears still uncontrollably leaking from his eyes.

He feels the headphone closest to where Andrew’s sitting gently tugged from his ear.

“Why are you crying?”

The voice is clearer now that the headphone is pulled free and Neil feel’s the pad of a finger slide through the tear track on the side of his face, stilling some place between his ear and eye. He opens his eyes to find Andrew laying beside him staring at him. He’s sure he looks a mess, eyelashes clumped together with tears and he can feel his nose getting runny.

“That song reminds me of my mum.” He says truthfully and his heart aches as he says the words.

“Where is she?” Andrew asks, idly sliding the finger up Neil’s face to where his hairline starts, Andrew’s looking at his own finger instead of Neil.

“She’s dead.” Andrew’s finger stills where it was tracing lightly at Neil’s face.

“Oh,” he says softly, “I’m sorry.” Andrew pulls his finger back and looks at Neil’s eyes as he says it. Neil wishes he’d kept the finger there, it was a welcome distraction to his own emotions.

“My father killed her.” Neil’s not sure why he tells Andrew, but the words come out any way.

“He’s the one that gave me these.” Neil says, gesturing to his now exposed scars. Neil closes his eyes again and after a minute of quiet feel’s Andrews finger back on his face, tracing the scars that run down his cheek.

Neil opens his eyes and turns his body to face Andrew.

“What do the lyrics mean?” Neil asks, genuinely intrigued by what the heart wrenching words had been saying.

Andrew pulls out his phone, “I looked them up in English.” He explains as he opens his phone.

“I’ll leave you words,” Andrew starts saying softly, “Underneath your door. Underneath the singing moon. Near the place where your feet pass by, hidden in the holes of wintertime. And when you’re alone for a moment, Kiss me, whenever you want. Kiss me, whenever you want.”

Andrew looks up from his phone to Neil and when their eyes meet Neil feels something electric shoot down his spine.

Andrew glances down at Neil’s lips quickly and Neil can’t help but move forward, only to be met by Andrew leaning closer and suddenly they’re kissing.

Andrew’s lips are soft and they move gently over Neil’s making his stomach turn to mush and his brain go quiet.

When Andrew pulls back from the soft, slow kiss Neil can’t help his smile, incredulous that he’d just kissed Andrew.

Andrew isn’t smiling but he’s got a happy glint to his eye and he slings an arm over Neil using it to pull Neil close against him.

Neil closes his eyes and lets himself breathe in Andrew’s scent.

“I should probably go back to my room.” Andrew says after a few minutes but makes no moves to get up.

Neil just leans up to flick the lamp light off before settling back into bed.

He’s not sure if Andrew will leave or not but the energetic buzz of kissing Andrew is wearing down as he gets comfortable and sleepy and he can’t help the way he involuntarily starts to fall asleep, Andrew’s arm still slung over his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this second chapter!!  
> As always kudos and comments are really, really appreciated.  
> You can find the amazing artist for this fic, TeoMoy, on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TeoMoy), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/teomoy/) and [Tumblr](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/)  
> If you'd like you can also come say hi to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bri_ghtly2)  
> Chapter 3 will be out in four days!!  
> Thank you so much for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Here's chapter 3!!  
> I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone's who's been reading this and all the lovely comments I've been getting. Thank you so much!!  
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter!!

Neil thinks he’s in a dream when he wakes up to the sound of furious knocking again.

He groans groggily and blinks open his eyes, trying to discern what’s happening.

Andrew is still sleeping quietly beside him, obviously undisturbed by what Neil now realises is an aggressive pounding of the hotel door.

“Neil!” He hears Dan’s shout through the door and is immediately on edge, brain turning from half asleep to alert in a split second.

Dan’s shouting also seems to wake Andrew beside him and Neil looks down at him as he makes a confused noise before his eyes widen and look up at Neil.

“In the bathroom.” 

Neil shoves at Andrew trying to get him off the bed and into a hiding place. He doesn’t even have time to mentally freak out about the fact he’s waking up in the same bed as Andrew after having kissed him.

Andrew seems to figure out what Neil wants and he quickly gets up and walks into Neil’s bathroom closing the door behind him.

Dan hasn’t stopped knocking on the door and her shouting through it is now consistent.

Neil gets up quickly to open the door for her.

“Neil! Finally!” She says, seeming a little out of breath as she looks at him.

“Have you been on your phone this morning?” She asks, barging into the room. Neil lets the door close behind her and turns to face where Dan is now standing in the centre of the room.

Neil shakes his head.

“Good, don’t.”

The words make Neil’s hair stand on end, and he feels his stomach drop at what they could mean.

“Dan, what are you talking about?” He asks quietly. His stomach starts churning at the possibility of what might be going on online. God, what if someone saw Andrew come to Neil’s room last night, that could be bad for both Neil and Andrew. Neil can already see the headlines about an opening act that’s only there for the sexual favours.

All the urgency Dan had seems to rush out at once and she lets out a sigh, sitting on the edge of Neil’s bed.

“Dan what is it?” He asks again, he feels nauseous. Whatever is causing this reaction in Dan must be something bad.

“They found out about your parents.”

Neil’s ears immediately start ringing and if Dan says anything beyond that sentence Neil doesn’t hear it. His brain starts whirring and his chest tightens. His breath quickens and he feels light headed.

People don’t look at you the same when they know your father killed your mother. They start to question your sanity, they wonder if you’ll turn out like you father too. If every little emotion resembling anger will lead to violence and aggression.

Neil can’t hear anything above his own thoughts and he feels like he can’t breathe as he tries to suck in air quickly. Despite his quickened breath it feels like no oxygen is entering his lungs and the light-headedness grows until black spots start appearing in his vision.

Neil practically crumbles to the floor as the realisation hits him and he loses control over his body. He ends up sitting with his legs folded on the ground, head held in his hands.

All he can think of is the nightmare press circus that will follow him the rest of his career.

Every interview from now he’ll be on edge that some prying interviewer will ask him if he’s visited his father recently. If he thinks his ‘situation’ caused his music to improve.What his life was like after his mum was killed.

Neil feels like he’s about to pass out. He can’t seem to get enough air in his lungs no matter how quickly he breathes and he struggles to stay upright.

Suddenly there’s a set of hands, grabbing his wrists and pulling them away from his face. Neil doesn’t look up to see who it is.

With his hands removed from his eyes he can see his own chest heaving below him and the sound of his own breathing is loud, along with the heavy bass of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears.

His own hands, now removed from his face, are replaced with another set of hands that rest against each side of his head. The hands cradling his head are warm and they are gentle but firm as they force Neil’s head up until his eyes are off the ground and his erratic chest and looking at a face across from him.

“Neil, Neil breathe for me.” Andrew’s voice somehow makes it through Neil’s panicked haze.

“I need you to breathe for me Neil.”

Easier said than done, Neil thinks as he tries to slow his gasping to a more normal pace.

“That’s it.” Andrew assures him after a few seconds.

Neil doesn’t feel like his breathing had improved but the reassurance seems to help him and he tries to calm his breathing further.

He closes his eyes as he slowly gets his breathing under control, the irregular beat of his heart and wild working of his lungs slowly returning to normal. He hears Andrew voice softly talking him down.

Neil tries to fight against the tears that come with the reality he is now facing but can’t seem to help the way they fall from his closed eyes.

This is his worst nightmare come true. He knew it was a risk of course, that the news would come out eventually. Dan had prepped for it, had prepared him for it but the reality seems so much more monstrous than he can imagine.

He doesn’t want his reputation to now be, ‘oh that one guy whose dad killed his mum’. He doesn’t know if he can deal with that.

“Neil.” He doesn’t know if there was silence before Andrew said his name or this is just the first words Neil has really heard since he’d freaked out.

Neil opens his eyes and more tears fall as he does.

Andrew doesn’t say anything, just looks at him for a moment before leaning forward where he’s kneeling in front of Neil and pulling him into a soft hug, making sure Neil doesn’t feel suffocated and that he has room to pull back.

Neil catches Dan’s eye’s over Andrew’s shoulder and she’s looking at him worriedly.

“We’ll figure it out.” Dan says softly to Neil.

And Neil tries to feel reassured. He knows Dan’s amazing and will be able to get Neil out of this situation. But his heart is still in his throat and he hates that people will know this about him.

He closes his eyes again and turns his face into Andrew’s neck, pressing into him. Andrew tightens his arms around Neil and he lets out a few more tears as he hears Dan leave the room. Probably already on the phone to start damage control.

They have to leave the hotel and get on their buses eventually but Neil tries to deny the inevitable as he packs, trying not to think that he’ll have to face the public soon.

Andrew left for his own room after Neil had finally stopped crying and Neil had heard about fifty pings from Andrew’s phone that Neil was sure were Wymack.

Andrew had seemed reluctant to leave him but Neil practically pushed him out of the room, knowing he’d have to start functioning again soon if he wanted to continue on this tour. And despite it all he did want to continue on the tour.

Dan had come into Neil’s room a little after Andrew had left. She’d given him a run down of the situation, asking about a million times if Neil was sure that he wanted to know everything that was going on.

Apparently Riko Moriyama, a bandmate from high school, had leaked everything to the press. Including photos of Neil before he’d started covering up his scars. Some of the photos were only from weeks after the incident where his scars were still angry and red, only just healed.

Neil hadn’t spoken to Riko in years. He'd been in contact with his other band mate Kevin, but when Riko had found out Neil had started going professional with his music he stopped answering Neil’s calls and texts.

Neil didn’t have room to feel angry, he just felt drained.

  
  


Neil thought he was prepared for the yelling and chaos that would happen when they left the hotel for the buses but he was wrong.

There’s multiple people yelling for him at once and more flashing lights than Neil has ever experienced in his life.

Dan had told him to keep his head down and just get to the bus and that she’d deal with the rest. He follows her instructions as security leads him up to his bus and he’s quickly ushered on. Dan follows up quickly behind him.

“God, what a madhouse.” She comments as they get settled on the back of the bus. Neil looks out the window and watches as the media turn from his bus to the hotel doors as Andrew quickly steps through them and pushes through the crowd.

So much has happened in just the morning that he hadn’t had a chance to realise that he’d kissed Andrew Minyard last night. Had slept in the same bed as him. He lets himself feel giddy for a moment before turning back to Dan.

“What are we going to do about them?” Neil asks, jutting his head in a gesture to the press outside.

“We’ll send out a statement online. I can write one, or you can write one, or we can write one together. After it’s out I don’t want you to talk about it anymore. It’s none of their business. They have no right to go after you about it.”

Neil nods, “Thanks, Dan.”

She hasn’t mentioned anything about Andrew hiding in his room this morning but he’s sure as soon as she thinks he’s recovered from this ordeal she’ll have some choice words to say about it. 

He turns to look back out of the window, his mind returning to where it usually goes when he’s stressed out. Music.

He starts working up a tune in his head, the melody playing out in sharp bursts as he works on it mentally.

He gets up from his seat as they start moving through the city traffic, heading toward the back of the bus where his guitar is. He picks it up and sits down. Strumming the melody he’d mentally been preparing and working on lyrics as he goes.

His head, for the first time all day, isn’t filled with worries and anxieties but is filled with the relaxed and therapeutic joy music gives him. 

  
  


Neil doesn’t think he’s been this nervous to perform since the first night on tour. He’d crashed on the hotel bed as soon as they’d arrived, the exhaustion of the morning catching up with him.

He’d woken up to his phone chiming and Dan on the phone telling him they had to get to the stadium for the concert.

He was nervous as soon as they’d pulled up in the back entrance to the venue, he was worried that people wouldn’t want to see him perform now that they knew about his past and his family.

It didn’t help that Dan had left his dressing room as soon as they’d arrived and hadn’t returned yet, leaving Neil to fester in his own thoughts.

He hadn’t bothered to put on the make-up that would cover his scars as he got ready, people now knew about the scars, and how he’d gotten them. He didn’t see the point in hiding them any longer.

A soft knock clips at the door as Neil is pulling on the t-shirt he’ll be wearing for the performance.

“Come in.”

Dan steps quickly through the door, she’d got two pizza boxes in her hands

“What have you got?”

“Comfort food.”

She puts the boxes on the table and flips open the pizza on top. The signature smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce filling the room. Neil feels instantly relaxed.

“I know it’s your favourite.”

She says as she places it on the table and Neil feels like he could cry again. He’d off-handily mentioned that pizza was his favourite food a few times to Dan. His mum used to drive him to their favourite pizza shop and they’d sit in the cracked leather booths for hours and talk. It had taken Neil a while to realise it was just so she could avoid going home.

“Thank you.” He says getting up to meet her at the table and pulling her into a quick hug before he reaches down to eat a slice of the pizza.

“Sooo..” Dan asks as Neil fills up on food, realising he hasn’t really eaten anything since last night except a muesli bar Dan had chucked at him on the bus.

“Why was Andrew Minyard in your room this morning?”

Neil pauses his chewing and turns to her, staring wide-eyed.

He really thought he’d have a few more days of being emotionally distraught and traumatised before he had to have this conversation with Dan.

She’s looking at him with her arms crossed and an expectant eyebrow raised.

“Well?”

Neil slowly finishes chewing his food as he decides how much he wants to tell Dan.

“We-, He-, I-“ He stumbles over the words and Dan rolls his eyes at him.

“We’re friends.” Neil decides eventually.

“Friends?” Dans asks disbelievingly, “Friends who wake up in the same bed in the morning?”

“Something like that.” Neil mumbles and shovels another mouthful of food trying to finish the conversation.

Dan seems to resign herself to the fact that’s the most she’ll be able to get out of Neil and turns to sit on the couch and starts scrolling on a phone. Neil registers the black phone case and realises it’s his phone.

Dan had taken it off him this morning, claiming he wasn’t allowed on it until things had ‘cooled down’. Dan was able to log into most of Neil’s social media from her own phone but she seemed to enjoy being able to hold Neil’s phone hostage and using it in front of him.

“What’s going on?” Neil asks, not sure he wants to know the answer.

Dan looks up from his phone.

“Apart from the press it doesn’t look too bad, your twitter followers have sent some nice messages. You even got one from Allison Reynolds and Renee Walker.”

Neil turns quickly to her, “Really?! What did they say?” He reaches for his phone as he asks but she quickly pulls it away.

“Ah, ah. You get this when I say you get this.”

Neil slumps back on the couch.

“Can you at least read them to me?”

Dan looks like she’s about to agree when there’s a knock on the door. It opens a fraction.

“You’re up Josten.” A crew member calls through the door and closes it quickly.

The nerves that had momentarily disappeared with his comfort food and Dan suddenly return.

“Fuck.” Neil says as he stands up.

“You’ll be ok.” Dan reassures him with a gentle pat to the shoulder. “Andrew’s fans are nice, remember?”

Neil nods but won’t admit that his nerves haven’t faded.

Dan walks with him through the door and they start down the hallway that leads to side-stage.

“Neil.” He hears the shout from behind him and, recognising the voice, he whips around quickly.

Andrew jogs up to them, puffing slightly.

“Hey.” He says softly as he reaches them.

And despite how crap his day has been Neil can’t help a small smile. “Hi.”

“Sorry, Wymack wouldn’t let me get out quicker. I wanted to say good luck before your set.”

“Thanks.” Neil says, glancing at Dan who is looking from her watch to the hallway, obviously anxious to get to the stage on time.

“I better go on.”

“Right.” Andrew says with a nod of the head.

Neil turns to go but a hand quickly wraps around his wrist to pull him back.

Neil has barely turned back around when a set of lips are pressing against his own. His heart rate immediately spikes and he hastily returns the kiss, opening his mouth slightly to Andrew’s lips. Andrew pulls back quickly after the chaste kiss and looks up and down the hallway, making sure no one else spotted them.

Neil’s wishes he could turn around to see Dan’s face, but he doesn’t want to look away from Andrew.

“Good luck.” Andrew says squeezing the hand that’s still wrapped around Neil’s wrist. He reaches his other hand up and lightly traces his thumb along the scars shredded down Neil’s cheek.

He leans in and kisses it softly.

“I’ve got a surprise for you after the show.” Andrew whispers in his ear and suddenly all the nerves Neil had about the show are replaced with an excited giddy feeling and he can’t help his widening grin as Andrew pulls back.

“We’ve gotta go Neil.” Dan says, behind him. Apparently unable to wait a second longer.

Andrew releases Neil’s wrist and starts walking backwards, a small smile on his face.

“Oh! Tell Renee and Allison I’ll reply to them when I get my phone back.” Neil calls as he starts walking to the stage.

Andrew looks confused but Neil only glimpses it for a second before Dan seizes his forearm and starts hauling him down the hallway to side-stage.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do Mister.” She says as she shoves Neil towards the waiting crew and Neil is quickly hustled onto stage.

The first surprise is that Andrew gets in the same car as him after the show.

Dan and Neil usually ride back to the hotel in one car and Andrew follows in another so Neil startles when the door to their car opens and Andrew falls into the backseat.

Neil glimpses a sliver of a displeased Wymack staring at them before Andrew shuts the door behind himself.

Andrew looks into the front seat and faces the driver. He reels off an address before falling back into the back seat and clipping in his seatbelt.

“What’s going on?” Neil asks after a moment of confused silence as the car starts driving.

“I told you. I have a surprise for you.” Andrew replies unhelpfully.

Dan turns around from where she’s sitting in the front seat and gives a grin to Neil.

“Trust me, you’ll like it.” She says.

“You know!?” Neil sputters.

Dan just turns around to look back out of the window.

Neil turns to Andrew again. But instead of saying anything Andrew leans over and presses a quick kiss to Neil’s lips, looking into the rear view mirror to make sure the driver didn’t spot them.

Neil’s lips tingle as Andrew pulls back and sends him a grin. Neil doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to the kisses Andrew keeps spontaneously putting on him.

Neil narrows his eyes in suspicion at him, not distracted enough by the kiss to forget his wariness about where they’re headed. Andrew looks like he could care less as he pulls out his phone and starts typing into it.

The show had gone surprisingly well tonight. The audience’s cheers had seemed louder than ever as he’d stepped on stage and Neil was too far away from the crowd to see any eyes tracking the scars on his face - which he was thankful for. When he’d played ‘Red Halo’ the crowd had gone extra crazy, maybe now understanding more of the lyrics and what they meant to Neil.

Relief had flooded Neil when he stepped offstage, feeling like maybe things would be alright. Maybe the media knew about his dark past and maybe he’d have to face pushy questions from inconsiderate interviewers. But if he was able to feel the high of performing his music to people, he feels like that’s something he could put up with.

They pull up at a large home with a fancy gate and Neil turns to Andrew but the other man is looking through the window at the large house they’re pulling up in front of.

“What’s going on?” Neil asks dubiously as they finally stop in front of the big house.

Andrew just gets out of the car, Neil stays in his seat, not sure if he should follow or not.

The door to his side opens and Andrew slightly leans down so his eyes are level with Neil’s, one hand resting on the open car door.

“Close your eyes.” He says.

“Why?”

“Just do it Josten!”

Neil rolls his eyes before shutting them. He feels someone grab his hands and lead him out of the car before pulling him across the gravel path that leads to the front of the house.

“Step.” Andrew says and Neil cautiously puts his foot in front of him to step up onto the stairs.

“Dan.” Neil says, not sure Dan’s still with them.

“She’s waiting in the car.” Andrew replies as he continues to lead Neil.

Neil tightens his hand in Andrews and a few moments later Andrew stops walking.

“You can open your eyes.” Andrew says.

Neil opens his eyes and sees a large door in front of him, Andrew reaches out and presses the doorbell. Neil hears the echo of it from outside the house and the sound of clicking footsteps.

“Andrew what is this?” Neil asks, slight nerves making his voice shake a little.

Andrew’s hand tightens where it’s still gripped around Neil’s.

“Don’t be nervous.” He reassures just before the door opens.

Neil stops breathing. Standing in front of them is Neil’s biggest idol, the lady that made him want to be a rock and roll star. Taught him how rock could be painful and healing all in one. And beautiful, oh how rock music could be beautiful.

“Hello Andrew.” She greets, “And you must be Neil.” She turns to him.

“I’m Stevie.” She says and reaches out a hand for Neil to shake.

Neil feels like he’s in a dream of his wildest fantasies. The one and only Stevie Nicks is in front of him, and introducing herself to Neil of all people.

Not wanting to make a fool of himself, Neil quickly releases his grip on Andrew’s hand. Screw Andrew Minyard. The rock icon Stevie Nicks is standing in front of him, and he shakes her hand quickly.

“I’m such a huge fan.” Neil manages to get out as he just stares at the wonder in front of him.

“Come in, come in.” Stevie Nicks says, pulling her hand out of Neil’s grip and turning to walk back into the house.

Neil turns to Andrew, his mouth open in pure shock.

Andrew just sends him a small smile and makes an ‘after you’ gesture into the house.

Neil didn’t realise that Andrew knew about his Stevie Nicks obsession, but as he thinks back, he supposes that he must have mentioned her or Fleetwood Mac enough times for Andrew to clue in.

He steps into the house and turns back to Andrew.

‘OH MY GOD’ he mouths to Andrew.

Andrew just smiles again and shakes his head, stepping in behind Neil.

“Sorry we’re so late, Stevie. I couldn’t get away from the venue for ages.”

“Oh it’s fine, I remember what it was like back when we toured. Such a nightmare.”

“Yeah.” Andrew agrees as she leads them through the house to the lounge room, where there are snacks set up on the coffee table.

“Please sit down. Have something to eat.”

Neil’s met a lot of people he’s looked up to since touring with Andrew, but this is by far the coolest. It’s Stevie freaking Nicks.

Neil doesn’t manage to say much - too stunned in the presence of his icon. But Andrew and Stevie make small talk about this and that as Neil restrains himself from staring creepily.

“How’s the tour going for you Neil?” Stevie asks at one point, turning to face him.

“Oh, it’s been amazing. I’m so lucky to be touring with Andrew. His fans are the best.”

He avoids mentioning how stressful today has been. It almost seems irrelevant now that he’s met Stevie Nicks.

They wrap the visit up quickly as it gets later, and Andrew mentions that they have to be on the road early tomorrow.

“Of course. I’ll see you out.”

Stevie leads them back to the door and she gives Neil a quick hug before he leaves.

“It was lovely to meet you Neil.”

Neil feels like his head might explode and he nods dumbly.

“It was so great to meet you as well. Your music means so much to me.” It feels dumb and cliché to say, but Neil can’t help it, knowing how much her music had gotten him through.

She gives him a small smile before Andrew grabs his hand again and leads him down the path back to the waiting car.

Neil looks behind himself and Stevie waves at him as she closes the door.

Neil turns back to the car, still reeling from the last half an hour.

“Holy shit.” He whispers.

Andrew laughs beside him and Neil wishes he could bottle this moment up.

“Why did you not tell me where we were going, Dan? I should’ve had time to mentally prepare myself.” Neil says as they get back into the car and start driving away.

Dan just laughs at him, evil manager that she is.

“I can’t believe I just met Stevie Nicks.” Neil says, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you knew Stevie Nicks and didn’t tell me.” Neil says lightly hitting Andrew’s arm.

Andrew just laughs at him and his disbelief as they head back to the hotel.

Neil felt like the day had stretched on forever but when he rests his head on the pillow that night to finally get some sleep, he finds himself too excited to fall asleep.

He can’t stop thinking about the fact he just met Stevie Nicks nor the fact that Andrew had been pressing kisses to him all day.

Neil’s stomach fills with butterflies at the memory of Andrew’s lips on his own and he presses his ridiculously big grin into his pillow.

The excitement, after what seems like hours, finally leaves him and he finally closes his eyes to get some much needed rest.

“Wakey wakey sleepy head.”

Neil groans and clenches his eyes shut tightly as a bright light makes its way through his eyelids. The person who had spoken doesn’t seem to care for Neil getting more sleep and instead decides to shake his shoulder aggressively.

Neil reaches a hand out from under the covers and attempts to slap the hand away.

He hears a laugh and as his brain starts waking up he realises who it belongs to. He finally opens his eyes to confirm it.

Andrew is standing over his bed, his eyebrows raised as he looks down at Neil.

Neil furrows his brows, “How’d you get in here?” He mumbles out, his voice low and raspy with sleepy disuse.

“Dan has a key to your room. I got it.”

Neil’s eyes widen with shock, “She gave it to you?”

Andrew just shrugs. “She said as long as you’re ready to leave on time it’s fine.”

Neil stares at the key card as Andrew slides it into his pocket.

“How long do we have?”

Andrew is still standing over Neil’s bed and Neil has to tilt his head up to see his face.

“An hour before the buses are set to leave. Do you want to get breakfast?”

Neil flops back down in bed.

“No.” He mumbles as he closes his eyes again and turns into his pillow, “’M comfy.”

Neil just hears the quiet laugh again and startles a little as he feels the bed dip.

He opens his eyes and looks over to see Andrew getting into the bed beside Neil, jeans and all.

“Who invited you in?” Neil asks teasingly.

“Oh. So you want me out? Ok.” Andrew starts moving to stand back up and walk out of the room.

Neil reaches out quickly and grabs a hold of Andrew's wrist.

“No! Come back.” Neil says tugging on Andrew’s wrist.

He looks up at Andrew and watches as he shakes his head with a small smile and concedes to Neil. Snuggling up under the covers next to him.

It’s silent for a moment as they regard each other.

Andrew reaches his hand up and Neil watches in his peripheral as a finger reaches out to run lightly down his face. Neil knows Andrew is tracing down his scars.

Neil shivers lightly at the contact, trying to block the memories surging forward from the day they were made.

“Yesterday feels like a dream.” Neil says as Andrew continues to lightly move his fingers across Neil’s face.

“Why do you say that?” Andrew asks quietly. His eyes moving from Neil’s cheek to his eyes.

“So many things happened, things I never wanted to happen and things I never even believed could happen. It feels like a nightmare and the sweetest of dreams all rolled into one.”

“What were the good parts?”

“Meeting Stevie.” Neil smiles as he remembers her grinning face right in front of him. “Getting to perform without my makeup.” Neil pauses and reaches up to cover Andrews hand, resting against his cheek, with his own.

“Kissing you.” Neil closes his eyes as he tries to fight the blush that takes over his face. Andrew can probably feel Neil’s cheek warming under his palm.

Andrew hums. “I liked that bit too.”

When Neil opens his eyes again Andrew is wearing a cocky smile. Neil pushes him on the chest lightly.

“Shut up.” He says softly.

Andrew just chuckles and quickly moves his hand to wrap around Neil’s wrist, trapping his hand to Andrew’s chest.

Andrew leans forward and presses a kiss to Neil’s lips.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth.” The words come out garbled against Andrew’s lips.

Andrew pulls back only slightly, “I don’t care.” Then he’s surging forward to deepen the kiss.

Neil groans as he parts his lips for Andrew’s mouth. Andrew’s lips are soft and he tastes like mint. He’s probably just brushed _his_ teeth, Neil thinks.

All other thoughts running through his mind quickly disappear as Andrew’s hand, still wrapped around Neil’s wrist, forces Neil’s arm back on the pillow beside him.

Andrew leans up and gets his leg over Neil to straddle him. Hand still pushing Neil’s arm into the pillow.

Just to test what Andrew will do, Neil strains slightly against Andrew’s hold. Andrew doesn’t release his hand - only pushes it down further and tightens his grip. Neil can’t help the whimper that comes from the back of his throat and Andrew pulls back from his lips.

Neil’s panting and he can feel arousal beginning to pool in his stomach.

“Do you like that?” Andrew asks him, panting almost as much as Neil.

“What?” Neil asks, too embarrassed to admit to anything.

“Me holding you down?” Andrew asks with none of Neil’s self-consciousness.

Neil feels his cheeks flame and he looks away from Andrew’s eyes.

“Is that a yes?” Andrew asks and Neil can hear the smirk in his voice.

Fuck it, Neil decides as he looks back up to Andrew.

“Yes.” He says boldly, contrasting the deep blush that settles on his cheeks as he admits it.

Andrew just surges down to kiss him again and Neil welcomes the heated press of Andrew’s lips against his own and moans as Andrew’s tongue begins to lick its way into Neil’s mouth.

Neil groans as Andrew reaches down with the hand that isn’t holding Neil’s wrist to find Neil’s other forearm, still hidden under the covers.

He gets a grip on it and pulls it up to rest on the other side of Neil’s head, pushing down on both trapped wrists lightly.

Neil moans and arches up, his lips chase Andrew’s as he pulls back from the kiss.

“Maybe when we’re back home.” Andrew says lowley, “I could tie you up.”

The needy whimper Neil lets out at the idea is completely involuntary.

He nods quickly before he feels Andrew’s mouth press a kiss to Neil’s throat and sucks lightly at the skin. Neil feel’s Andrew’s teeth scrape over his skin and he lets out a breathless, “fuck.”

“Andrew.” Neil whimpers as Andrew sucks heavily on Neil’s neck and grinds his hips down, giving Neil the friction he’d been so desperately waiting for.

“Shirt off, please.” Neil manages to pant out between the desperate sounds he’s making

Before either of them can get that far, though, there’s a knock on the door and they both let out quiet, annoyed groans.

“Neil,” He hears Dan calling from the other side of the door. “We only have half an hour before the bus has to leave. Hurry up!”

Neil closes his eyes and silently curses Dan’s timing.

Andrew releases Neil’s wrists and when Neil looks over to them he notices there are white spots where Andrews fingers had pressed into his skin. He swallows heavily.

Andrew leans down to give him a quick kiss.

“Later.” He whispers in Neil’s ear and Neil isn’t sure if it’s a promise or a goodbye. Andrew quickly gets off the bed and moves to the door, pulling it open as he reaches for the key card in his pocket.

“Dan.” Andrew greets her with a slight nod and presses the key card into her hand before walking off down the hallway.

Dan looks bewildered as she turns to look back into Neil’s room and spots Neil sitting up on his elbows in bed. If he looks even half as dishevelled as he feels, he must look a mess.

“I did not give him this.” Is all Dan says as she stares from the card, to Neil, to where Andrew had just walked off down the hall.

Neil just flops back in bed and puts his arm over his eyes. He blushes at the memory of that very part of his arms trapped under Andrew’s grip just minutes earlier.

  
  


Neil managed to make it to the bus on time after a lot of harassment and side-eyeing from Dan.

“So,” Dan says faux-casually as they settle in for the long bus ride, “how was your morning?”

Neil doesn’t have to look up to see the smirk that he can hear come through in her voice.

Neil can’t help the blush that creeps onto his cheeks as he remembers the morning, the feeling of Andrew’s lips on his own and the confined feeling of being held down by Andrew.

He hears Dan laugh and realises how telling his blush and silence must be.

“Look Neil,” She says, her laughter ending abruptly and her serious voice back, “I’m happy if you’re happy, but just be careful for now. If you and Andrew decide you want this to go public we’ll have to do it carefully and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Neil just nods and looks out of the window. He hadn’t really thought about him and Andrew going public. There’s not much to go public with at the moment. But now that Dan has planted the seed in Neil’s head, he can’t help imagining how a future with Andrew might look. Early mornings spent in bed together, quick kisses stolen when no one’s around, getting to watch Andrew work in his studio all day.

Neil tries to hide a small smile in his palm as he thinks about it.

He pulls his guitar out from behind his seat to distract himself from this self-indulgent daydreaming and continues working on the song he’d started writing the other day. He finalizes notes and melodies and tries to stop the way his cheeks are instinctively pulling at the corners of his mouth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!!  
> You can say hi to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bri_ghtly2).   
> And go check out the artist for this fic, TeoMoy, who will be posting the art for this fic very soon!! (Link to her [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TeoMoy), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/teomoy/) and [Tumblr](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/))  
> And thank you to Fal for beta reading!!  
> As always kudos and comments are really appreciated!!  
> Last chapter in four days!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Chapter 4 is here!! The stories all finished whoop!!  
> I want to say a massive thank you to everyone's who has been reading as I update I hope you enjoy this final chapter!!

Neil hadn’t had the chance to see Andrew for more than a quick hello or wave down a corridor for the last few days. He hated to admit to himself that he missed seeing Andrew after only a few days of separation, but he couldn’t seem to help the way he found himself craving interaction with the other man.

He was getting worried that Andrew had decided he didn’t want to see Neil anymore or something had happened, and Neil had been checking his phone almost religiously waiting for Andrew to talk to him.

On the third day of not seeing Andrew Neil decided to bite the bullet. He’d just returned from a show, the crowd had seemed more enthusiastic than usual and Neil was riding the high of adrenaline he got from performing.

Dan had given him his phone back yesterday and Neil had gotten a chance to reply to people who’d sent him messages. He got emotional reading over some of the messages people had sent him, even people he’d never spoken to before from the industry reaching out.

Pulling out his phone from his pocket, he flops heavily on to the bed.

_Hey, are you awake?_

He hesitates a moment, worried that he’ll wake Andrew up, but he can’t help but hit send. His desire to hear from Andrew is greater than any reservations he has about saving the other man’s sleep schedule.

He gets a text back not even a minute later.

_Is this a booty call Josten?_

Neil splutters at the message and a blush rises on his cheeks.

_NO! I just haven’t seen you in a few days._

_I know. I’m sorry. Wymacks got me on a tight leash atm, something about sneaking into the supporting act’s room ;)_

_Sorry for getting you in trouble :/_

Neil waits for a response for a few moments and startles slightly when his phone starts ringing loudly in his hands instead, Andrew’s name popping up on the screen.

Neil clicks the answer button quickly.

“Hey.” Andrew’s voice is crackly and low through the phone speaker.

“Hi.” Neil replies quietly, a bit worried he’ll disturb Dan, who’s in the room next to him, if he’s too loud.

“Want to come up?”

“Up?” Neil asks, confused by what Andrew means.

“To my room.” Andrew clarifies and that signature feeling Neil’s been getting around Andrew returns. The flutters in his stomach and sweating of his palms.

“Won’t you get in trouble.”

“Well that depends on if you can be quiet.”

Neil doesn’t know if Andrew means to be suggestive but he can’t help the blush that spreads to his cheeks, his own brain supplying images of the last time he and Andrew had been alone together.

“I can be stealthy.”

Neil has no real evidence to back that point up but he’ll be damned if he misses on a chance to hang out with Andrew.

“Ok, I’m on the top floor. Room 794”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon Neil.” Andrew says before disconnecting the call.

Neil stands up quickly and pulls on some comfy clothes, replacing his tight black jeans for a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie and leaving the room.

Neil sends up a silent prayer when he knocks on the hotel room door quietly. Hoping he has the right room and breathes out a sigh of relief when Andrew opens it quickly.

Andrew sticks his head out of the door looking up and down the hallway and then grabs the front of Neil’s hoodie to drag him into the room closing the door behind him.

Andrew lets go of his jumper and Neil relaxes back against the closed door, looking down at Andrew to find him staring right back up at him.

He hasn’t seen Andrew in a few days so he takes the opportunity to look, to trace Andrew’s face, looking into the hazel eyes that have flecks of green through them, and soft lips that seem to be glistening like they’ve just been licked. He thinks about leaning forward and sealing their lips together.

“Did anyone see you?” Andrew asks quietly after a minute of Neil staring at him.

Neil looks back to Andrew’s eyes. Andrew has a knowing look, like he’s aware of what had been on Neil’s mind.

Neil shakes his head at the question.

“Sorry I haven’t been able to see you. I missed you.” Andrew reaches up as he says the words to Neil, running his thumb along Neil’s cheekbone.

“I missed you too.”

“Oh, really?” Andrew says with a smirk, “What’d you miss?”

The cocky smirk breaks Neil out of the desire that had started swimming in him. He places both his hands on Andrew’s chest and pushes him away lightly.

“Shut up Andrew. I said this wasn’t a booty call.”

Andrew makes a non-committal hum before surging forward and pressing his lips to Neil’s pushing him back against the door.

The heated kiss only lasts a minute before Andrew pulls back, his smirk back in place, and turns around.

“Come in.”

Neil had been too caught up in Andrew to register the room behind him, it’s large and looks like something out of a movie.

A four poster bed against one wall opposite a massive plasma screen TV and one of the fanciest hotel kitchen’s Neil has ever seen.

Neil whistles lowley and Andrew looks over his shoulder at him.

“This is nice.” Neil says.

“Only the best for the headliner, right?” Andrew jokes and Neil laughs.

Andrew turns back around and flops onto the massive bed. It’s only then that Neil notices the signature black armbands that Andrew is always sporting are gone. Neil can see the two flower tattoos winding up Andrew’s forearms and he smiles when he spots them.

He walks over to the bed and flops down beside Andrew.

They lay in silence for a moment before Neil flips onto his stomach so he can look down at Andrew’s face.

“Can I show you something?” Neil asks warily.

Andrew opens one eye and studies Neil’s face before nodding.

Neil reaches down to his pocket to pull out his phone, his attached headphones coming along with it.

“Here.” Neil says handing Andrew one of his ear buds, “I’ve been working on a song.”

Andrew quickly snatches up the headphone being offered to him and pulls the other one out of Neil’s hand.

“Song’s always sound better with both.” Andrew explains before Neil can protest as he pushes the earbuds in.

Neil just rolls his eyes as he opens the song he’s been working on up on his phone.

Neil nerves about Andrew hearing the song make him hesitate, Andrew will be the first person he shows this song to. It’s different to a lot of his previous work, leaning heavily into the rock genre and he usually only shows Dan his song’s first so she can tell him if they’re bad.

The phone is pulled out of Neil’s hands before he can register what’s happening and he watches as Andrew taps the screen then places the phone on his chest, looking up at the ceiling.

Neil puts his head face first into the blanket on the bed, too scared to look at Andrew as he hears the song.

After a minute of silence, Neil can’t take it. He lifts his head slightly, turning it to look at Andrew.

Andrew’s got his eyes closed. He’s not bobbing his head or moving at all and Neil gets worried.

He reaches out to tap on Andrew’s arm.

Andrew turns to him opening his eyes and Neil raises his eyebrows in question.

Andrew just holds up a finger in a ‘just wait’ gesture before closing his eyes and turning his head again.

Neil rolls his eyes at the dramatics but continues to watch Andrew’s face for any signs.

Andrew turns to Neil after a few more minutes and instead of saying anything he leans over and kisses Neil.

Neil rises up to meet the kiss and Andrew pulls the headphones from his ears.

The position they’re kissing in at first has Neil on his side, but with seemingly barely any effort Andrew flips him onto his back and flicks a leg over to straddle him, continuing the hot kiss.

After a minute Andrew pulls back for air.

“Did you like it? Or is this a kiss to make me feel better before you tell me it’s horrible?” Neil whispers.

“I loved it.” Andrew says leaning down to place another soft kiss on Neil’s lips before pulling back to sit upright on Neil.

“It’s so grungy and hardcore, I didn’t know you had it in you Josten.” Andrew teases and pokes Neil’s ribs a few times to make him squirm.

“I was thinking maybe it could be our collaboration song? Do you think you could fit on it?”

Andrew looks down at him, surprised.

“You want me on this. Are you sure? It’s so personal.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed Andrew, but I like you a fair bit. You can be on the song.” Neil pauses, “I want you on the song.”

Andrew leans down and Neil closes his eyes, instead of the kiss he’d been preparing himself for, Neil feels a hot breath on his neck before a set of lips attach there, sucking a bruise into his skin. Neil throws his head to the side to allow Andrew more access but as Andrew pulls back his breath goes against Neil’s ear.

“If you’d have me, I’d love to be on your song.”

The soft words send shivers down Neil’s spine.

“Can you send it to me so I can maybe try some stuff with it?”

Neil just nods before reaching up to place a hand on the back of Andrew’s neck so he can pull him down and attach their lips together.

Andrew’s lips are warm and soft against Neil’s own and Andrew nips lightly at Neil’s lower lip. Neil parts his lips at the soft touch of Andrew’s tongue against his lips. Before they can go any further Neil quickly pulls back from Andrew and yawns trying to hide it by turning his head to the side.

After Neil’s finished yawning he looks back up to Andrew, if Neil didn’t know any better he’d call the expression Andrew’s wearing found.

“Tired?” Andrew asks.

“Mmm.” Neil agrees leaning up to try and kiss Andrew again.

“Let’s go to sleep.” Andrew says instead of kissing him and Neil flops back onto the bed and groans softly.

Andrew just laughs at him before getting off Neil and laying down on his back beside him.

As soon as Andrew’s body weight is off him, Neil feels the exhaustion of the day catch up with him and he closes his eyes. He feels an arm wrap around his body and he moves towards the warmth of the body next to him.

“Don’t let me sleep in too long tomorrow, Dan will think I’ve been kidnapped.”

“Ok Josten.” Andrew says.

Neil feels a feather light kiss against his cheek before he drifts off to sleep.

Neil wakes up confused when he feels a warm body pressed next to him before he remembers what had happened the night before. He turns his head to look at Andrew only to find the other man already looking back at him.

Neil blinks a few times and brings a hand up to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

“Time’s it?” Neil asks, closing his eyes again and turning further into Andrew’s body.

“Quarter past six.”

Neil groans and snuggles deeper into the bed. “It’s too early.”

“Better get used to sleep deprivation if you want to be a big time artist.”

“I’m switching careers.” Neil mumbles into Andrew’s chest and feels it move beneath him as Andrew laughs.

“What time do you have to be back in your room?” Andrew asks, drawing Neil tighter against him with the arm slung across his waist.

“Dan probably won’t check on me until eight.”

“Hmm,” Andrew muses, “what are we going to do with all that time?”

“Sleep.” Neil mumbles.

Andrew laughs again. Neil loves the sound of Andrews laugh. He thinks if he could only bottle up one noise to hear it whenever he’d pick Andrew’s laugh.

“Whatever you say Josten.”

Neil feels Andrew move into a more comfortable position next to him, arm still pulling Neil in tightly.

Neil manages to get back to his room before Dan can cause a mass panic but she rolls her eyes at him when she spots the immovable grin on his face.

“You’re a nightmare Neil. We leave in half an hour.” Is all she says before walking out of the room and leaving Neil to pack.

_How’s this?_

The text is accompanied by and attached audio file and Neil pulls his headphones out of his bag quickly so he can hear it.

_That was quick_

Neil texts back as he untangles his headphones that had been stuffed in his backpack. It had only been two days since he’d sent the audio file to Andrew.

_It’s just something rough. I don’t have enough equipment with me here to make it sound exactly how I want but this is kind of close._

He can feel Dan’s eye’s on him from the other side of the bus but avoids looking over at her, not wanting to see the sly smirk she seems to get every time she realises Neil is talking to Andrew.

He plugs his headphones into his phone after they’re finally untangled and quickly clicks the audio Andrew had sent through.

It starts off very similar to Neil’s original version of the song, the bass maybe a little heavier and the guitar turning more from acoustic to electric but not changed enough so that it’s wildly different.

Neil startles when instead of his own voice coming onto the music it’s Andrew’s. It’s an immediately heavy hitting verse performed in Andrew’s melodic voice.

The lyrics Neil had written for the song were basically a fuck you to the media and the lack of privacy he now faced as someone in the spotlight. It was very different from his previous tracks and would probably cause a stir, the grunge sound mixed with the poignant message clear in the lyrics.

Andrew’s lyrics play off Neil’s own. Andrew slanders the media in a message that is familiar coming from the press-hater Andrew Minyard.

Andrew’s rap finishes up and the hook Neil had performed for the song comes in strong and Neil just about loses his mind.

He can feel his giant grin. Andrew had managed to effortlessly flow on the rock beat and made Neil’s hook hit even harder than it had before.

Neil listens to the rest of the song and is surprised when on the final hook of the song he hears Andrew’s voice singing along side his own. He’s shocked by how good their voices sound together.

Once the song is done he quickly dial’s Andrew’s number.

“Hello.” Andrew asks hesitantly.

“HOLY SHIT!” Neil yells into his phone and in his peripheral he see’s Dan drop whatever she’d been holding on the floor. “It sound’s so good!” Neil practically shouts in the phone and hears Andrew chuckle on the other side of the line.

“I’m glad you like it. We can work on it more when we get back to L.A. but at least we have an idea for now.”

Neil hums into the phone. “I’m so excited to release it.”

“Me too.” Andrew agrees with him quickly. “Hey, did you have any plans for tonight?”

Neil turns to Dan already looking at him with a funny look.

“Was there anything I have to do tonight?” He asks her and she shakes her head while continuing to stare at him with the strange look.

Neil just rolls his eyes at her and turns back to answer Andrew.

“Nope, how come?”

“Do you want to go to dinner with me?”

Neil reaches his hand up and pushes his fist against his mouth to try and hide the smile on his face.

“Of course. What time?”

“Well you have to be at the venue by six, right so maybe five? An early dinner.”

“Sounds amazing.”

“Right, well, I’ll see you then.”

“See you then.” Neil agrees softly into the phone before he hears the signature beeps that signals the call has ended.

He pulls his phone away from his ear and stares at it with a stupid smile on his face.

“You really like him, huh?” Dan says and Neil whips around to face her.

He tries to avoid the blush that presses up onto his cheeks but he can’t seem to help it and he just nods in answer to Dan.

“God, I can’t believe I signed up to be your manager. I’m going back to dancing.” Dan says with an exasperated sigh.

Neil just laughs at her.

When they pull up in front of a dodgy looking alley way Neil starts to get nervous.

Well, Neil had been nervous since before Andrew had knocked on his door at ten to five. He’d realised that this was a date, well at least the first time they’d really gone somewhere together since they’d hooked up. So Neil had been nervous all afternoon but it was mostly drowned out by the excited buzz in his stomach. The dodgy alley was quickly making the nerves resurface though.

“Where are we going?” Neil asks as he and Andrew get out of the car.

Andrew looks back at him and rolls his eyes.

“Come on scaredy cat.” Andrew says grabbing Neil’s hand and pulling him forward into the creepy alley.

“Andrew.” Neil says as they walk deeper into the alleyway but all Andrew does is squeeze his hand.

“Here we are.” Andrew says as they stop in front of a run down door.

“Where exactly is here?” Neil asks.

“It’s a secret.” Andrew says and he reaches forward and knocks three times on the door.

Neil gasps when the door is opened and he see’s inside the building.

It’s a softly lit restaurant, vines covering an entire wall and fairy lights dangled around the ceiling. There’s a few people sitting at the tables inside but they barely glance at Neil and Andrew as they are lead to the back of the restaurant.

It looks like something out of a fairy tale and Neil can’t believe he’d been in a dirty alley only a minute ago.

“This place is gorgeous.” Neil says as they sit down at the table.

“Wait until you taste the food.” Andrew says as he opens the menu.

Neil follows Andrew’s lead and does the same.

“Is this were you take all your dates to impress them?”

“Date’s?” Andrew asks and Neil blanches.

“Oh, uh sorry. I didn’t mean to presume anything-“

“That’s not what I meant Neil.” Andrew stops him quickly, “I just meant that I don’t really do ‘date’s’.” The last word Andrew puts in air quotes.

“What do you mean?” Neil asks, forgetting he’s meant to be checking the menu for what he wants to eat and that they’re on a strict time schedule.

“Well- I suppose, you’re kind of the first person I’ve ‘dated’.”

“So you’ve never had a boyfriend before?” Neil asks.

Andrew shakes his head, “I never dated before my music got big and now it’s even harder. People’s motives are difficult to figure out when you’re popular in the industry.”

Neil nods at him.

“Does this count as a date then?” Neil asks peeking a look at Andrew from behind the menu.

“I sure hope so Josten.” Andrew teases him.

Neil looks around the room quickly and noticing everyone’s eyes off them, he leans over the table and steals a quick kiss from Andrew before sitting back down and continuing to read the menu like nothing happened.

When he looks back at Andrew after a few minutes he notices a faint red tinge to Andrew’s cheeks.

Andrew’s dropping Neil off at his dressing room after dinner. The meal had been amazing but they’d had to eat quickly by the time the food had arrived at the table so they were on time for Neil’s schedule.

Neil’s currently leaning back against his changing room door, Andrew’s leaning over him with his forearm resting against the wall beside Neil’s head. Dan’s probably worriedly texting him from inside but Neil takes a few minutes to say goodbye to Andrew.

“Thanks for tonight.” Neil says quietly, looking down at Andrew. “I had an amazing time.”

“I bet you’re just happy we didn’t get mugged in that alley.”

Neil laughs, “That too.”

They stare at each other for a minute before Andrew reaches his hand up and places a fist under Neil’s chin, his thumb catches Neil’s lower lip and he drags it down slightly.

“Will you watch me perform tonight?” Andrew asks as he leans forward.

“Yeah.” Neil breathes out and as soon as he finishes speaking Andrew removes his thumb from Neil’s mouth and replaces it with his own mouth.

Andrew’s lips slowly move against Neil’s and Neil whimpers in the back of his throat when Andrew bites down on his lower lip.

They’re stopped from going any further when the door Neil had been leaning own is abruptly opened.

Neil startles and flails as he tries to right himself without the support for his back.

It doesn’t work very well and Neil falls back landing painfully on his butt.

“Ow.” Neil says closing his eyes.

“There you are!” He hears Dan say from above him.

“Come one, hurry up. You’re gonna be late. This is so unprofessional, oh God.” Dan continues to ramble as she grabs the back of Neil’s shirt and hauls him up.

“See you later.” Neil mouths at Andrew as he’s dragged backwards by Dan. She hasn’t even seemed to have noticed Andrew, or maybe she’s just ignoring him. Either way, Andrew nods quickly before leaving to avoid the scolding Dan is bound to turn on him.

Every show that Neil’s done with Andrew he’s always surprised by how many people in the audience know the words to his songs, or at least seem to have a good time listening to them. Tonight had been no different and the crowd had seemed more excited than ever to see Neil perform.

The cheer he’d got at the end of his set was enough to make a massive grin form on his face that he knew wouldn’t be disappearing for at least a few hours.

He’d gotten to the front section of the stage after his performance as quickly as he could, making sure he would be able to see Andrew perform, Dan was standing beside him tapping away on her phone.

The lights are still on and the audience and stage are lit up as the crew moves equipment on stage and do sound checks.

“Neil!” He hears someone call out his name behind him and turns to the voice. He spots a young guy and a girl waving at him as they wait on the fence.

He walks over hesitantly. He’d been standing in clear view of them but he wasn’t expecting anyone to want to talk to him, after all they were here to see Andrew.

“Hey. How are you guys doing?” He asks when he gets over to them.

“Good thanks. We just wanted to say we loved your set tonight.” The girl who is talking has short pink hair and a massive smile on her face, “We started listening to your songs when we heard you’d be touring with Andrew. We love them all.”

“Thank you, that means a lot. I was a bit worried to tour with Andrew I’m not going to lie. But all you guys have been amazing. You must be excited to see Andrew right? Did you have to get here early to get on the barrier?”

“Yeah, we got here at seven this morning. We’re so excited.”

“You won’t be disappointed. Andrew’s live shows are crazy.”

The guy looks like he’s about to reply but just as he opens his mouth the lights dim and the background music stops. A loud cheer is let out by the audience.

“Enjoy the show. It was nice talking to you.” He says quickly to the couple who send him giant grins and he quickly goes back to stand beside Dan.

Nothing beats the energy of a concert, Neil thinks as the stage lights start flashing sporadically and an extended intro to Andrew’s first song on the setlist plays. The crowd is losing their minds, their cheering loud and he spots a few people jumping up and down in excitement, everyone is smiling.

Neil feels a rush go through him when the lights stop flashing a single beam is left highlighting Andrew, standing centre stage.

The crowds cheer’s become deafening and Neil can’t help but cheer along with them.

Andrew starts rapping after a minute of cheering and the crowd raps along with him. No matter how many times Neil see’s Andrew perform he is captivated each time.

Andrew always saves his most popular songs for first and last and as he winds down the show, performing a few of his biggest hits the crowd’s energy is just as high as when the show started. When the track for the last song on the set list dies down the audience’s cheers makes Neil’s ears ring.

“Thank you for having me tonight.” Andrew says into the mic and the crowd cheers again.

“I have one very special last thing for you. This is something I’ve been working on with a very good friend of mine.”

Neil’s confused for a moment until Andrew’s eye’s leave the crowd and start searching side stage, obviously not finding what he’s looking for he sets his eyes down to below the stage looking over the people between the barrier and the stage.

When his eye’s get to Neil’s, he smiles.

“You’ve already seen him once tonight but I hope you won’t mind seeing him again.” Andrew crooks a finger at him, urging him towards the stage. Neil’s a little dumbstruck but he steps closer to the stage as Andrew moves to stand over him.

“Can you give a big clap for Neil Josten?” Andrew shouts into the microphone.

The audience is quick to let out a cheer and Neil gives Andrew a surprised look when Andrew finally looks down at him.

Andrew just smirks at him and reaches a hand down, crouching slightly. It’s only then Neil notices that Andrew’s not wearing his armbands, the tattoo’s covering his scars are on full display and Neil takes a second to appreciate them as he looks at Andrew’s outstretched hand.

The stage comes to the top of Neil’s chest so he has to reache up to clasp the hand Andrew is offering and places his other hand on the stage as Andrew pulls him up.

“Hey.” Neil says when they’re standing in front of each other.

‘Hi,” Andrew says with a big smile, his mic at his side so the audience can’t hear him. He’s got sweat running down his face and he’s puffing slightly but it might be the happiest Neil has seen him.

“I hope it’s ok if we perform the new song. I gave it to the sound guys before the show.”

Neil nods at him, returning the smile.

They’re still facing each other when Andrew brings the mic back up to his mouth.

“I hope you’re ready for your treat.” Andrew yells into the mic, causing an explosion of noise from the audience. “DJ run that shit.” Andrew yells in the mic and the beat Andrew had sent him starts blasting across the speakers and into the crowd.

A sound girl quickly runs out onto stage and hands Neil a microphone which he takes from her.

The intro of the song is loud and the guitar and drums thump out across the room, the heavy rock beat causing people to bob along.

Andrew’s verse starts and his voice flows so effortlessly over the hard tune that Neil is as mesmerized as the audience.

It’s always difficult to perform new songs at a show because people like to sing along, which they’re unable to for a new track, but the audience seem to be just as excited to hear another song from Andrew and are bouncing along and cheering to the tune regardless.

When the time comes for Neil’s hook Andrew looks over at him as he sings it into the microphone. He hopes he sounds ok, he hasn’t got an earpiece in so it’s hard to tell but if the audience’s reaction is anything to go by he mustn’t be too bad.

Despite Neil singing for the majority of the song the people in the crowd don’t seem to mind and as he get’s to the final hook Andrew comes over to him.

Neil smiles at him as he sings and Andrew comes to stand beside him, Neil moves the microphone away from himself slightly so they can sing into it together.

Andrew has to stand on his tippy toes slightly to reach the mic but they manage, Andrew’s face so close to his own that it’s worth it.

Neil looks over at Andrew, only to see the man already looking back at him. Something electric passes between them as they sing into the mic together. When the song fades out Andrew returns to his flat feet and without any hesitation reaches his hand around the back of Neil’s neck before pulling him down for a kiss. The audience cheers turn up another volume as Andrew’s lips touch his own.

The kiss is heated and Andrew tongue quickly darts into his mouth before he pulls back.

“Thank you for having me tonight!” Andrew yells into the mic, “I hope you enjoyed the show. It might be my last as I’m pretty sure my manager might kill me.”

There’s laughs that come from the crowd and Andrew grabs Neil’s hand quickly pulling him off side stage.

Neil manages to catch a quick glimpse of Dan before he leaves the stage and she is just looking at him, shell-shocked.

Neil feel’s a little shell-shocked himself. Andrew turns back to look at him and laughs at the expression on Neil’s face.

“You better close that mouth Josten or the wind will change and you’ll get stuck with it open.” Andrew tugs on his hand, “Come on, we gotta go. Wymack is going to murder me if he finds me.”

Andrew starts jogging down the halls of backstage, pulling Neil along behind him and they somehow manage to get to the where the cars are waiting for them without being caught.

“Floor it.” Andrew says to the driver before he turns to Neil and jumps him.

His lips are harsh against Neil’s own, biting and nibbling at his lips and urging Neil’s mouth open with his tongue.

Neil returns the kiss eagerly, letting out a stifled moan when Andrew bites down particularly hard on his lip.

Andrew get’s his hands on Neil’s hips and sits back in his seat, he uses his hands to urge Neil over and Neil flips a leg over Andrew to settle on his lap.

Neil pulls back for a breath of air and Andrew’s mouth immediately moves down to his neck sucking a mark Neil knows will bruise.

“I’m going to leave so many marks on you now.” Andrew mumbles into Neil’s neck and Neil groans dropping his head to Andrew’s shoulder and grinding his hips on top of Andrew’s.

The hands still resting on Neil’s hips tighten.

“Wait until we get back.” Andrew says and latches onto his mouth again.

Neil complies out of his concern for the drivers mental state and returns the kiss.

The drive back to their hotel seems longer than any bus trip of the tour and by the time they pull up Neil can feel Andrew growing hard below him.

They stumble out of the car, walking as quickly and inconspicuously as they can into the hotel.

They manage to get into the elevator without being spotted and as soon as the door closes Andrew is backing Neil up to the mirrored wall of the elevator.

Andrew has caged him in, with a hand on either side of his head.

Andrew looks at him for a moment, eye’s tracing from his eyes to his mouth.

“I’m really glad I met you.” Andrew says softly.

Neil slowly moves his face closer to Andrew’s closing the distance between them and tasting Andrew’s breath on his lips as he get’s nearer.

He presses their lips together as softly as he can, just the slightest of pressure against Andrew’s own.

They’re stopped from going any further when the elevator makes a pinging noise and the doors open.

Andrew pulls back from Neil quickly and the family stepping onto the elevator give them a strange look as the youngest kid steps forward to press the button for the floor they want.

Neil leans his head forward, resting his forehead on Andrew’s shoulder and hiding his laugh in Andrew’s neck.

When the elevator finally gets to Andrew’s floor he grabs Neil’s hand as he drags him out of the elevator and down the hallway, sending a dirty look to the family still in the elevator.

Neil laughs at him.

“Stop glaring at the kids.” Neil slaps Andrew’s shoulder lightly as they turn the corner of the hallway.

Neil doesn’t hear Andrew’s mumbled reply clearly but it sounds a lot like ‘little cock blocking shits.’

When they finally get to Andrew’s room he wastes no time pulling his key card out of his pocket and practically attacking the locked door with it, opening it as soon as the light turns green and hauling Neil in behind him.

As the door closes, Andrew turns and backs Neil against it before frantically pressing his lips to Neil’s.

Their teeth click together and it’s slightly awkward until they find a rhythm and Andrew presses in closer to Neil trapping him against the door.

Neil lets out a gasp into Andrew’s mouth as Andrew’s hands move down to his thighs and he lifts them. Lifting Neil off the ground and wrapping his legs around Andrew’s waist.

Andrew rolls his hips when Neil is situated against him, and the friction causes a moan to fall from Neil’s lips. His head falls back against the door and Andrew immediately starts mouthing at Neil’s neck.

Andrew sucks a bruise on to Neil’s neck before biting it lightly and the feeling sends a tingle up Neil’s spine and he arches into Andrew.

Andrew rolls his hips as he bites down again and Neil groans, the feeling overwhelming him.

He can feel Andrew’s erection pressing against his own with each movement from Andrew and the friction is driving Neil crazy.

“Bed.” Neil urges through panting breaths as he tugs at Andrew’s hair and trying to set his legs on the floor so he can walk there.

Andrew nods against his throat and spins them as he starts walking towards the bed, not bothering to put Neil down and instead carrying him to the other side of the room.

Neil lets out a helpless laugh when Andrew practically chucks him onto the bed that quickly turns into a moan as Andrew leans over him and sets his hand on Neil’s growing hardness, palming it teasingly through his jeans.

“Andrew.” Neil gasps arching off the bed as Andrew slides his hand against Neil through his pants.

Neil regains some composure and reaches his hands up fisting the bottom of Andrew’s shirt and pulling it up Andrew’s body in attempt to get it off.

Andrew seem to understand what Neil wants and stands up quickly pulling his shirt over his head.

Neil immediately leaps at the chance to touch the uncovered skin, sitting up on an elbow and reaching his other hand forward to grab Andrew’s arm and pull him over Neil again.

Neil kisses him and Andrew returns the kiss just as hungrily.

Andrew makes quick work of peeling off Neil’s shirt before moving to the button at the top of Neil’s jeans.

Andrew looks up at Neil, a question in his eyes. Neil nods quickly and Andrew unbuttons Neil’s jeans before sitting up to get them off his legs. Andrew’s eyes focus in on where the tip of Neil’s dick now pokes out of the top of his underwear, his pupils dilating as he licks his lips.

“Yours too.” Neil requests and Andrew looks back up at him, roaming his eye’s down Neil’s flushed body as he get’s his own pants off.

“Fuck, you’re hot.” Andrew says when he finally gets his pants off and looks back up at Neil.

Neil blushes at the compliment and reaches up to Andrew’s shoulders to pull him down for a kiss.

Neil’s body hums as Andrew settles against him, there’s so much skin and Neil’s hands move everywhere they can, feeling as much of Andrew as he can. He moves from Andrew’s back to his stomach, moving his hands from Andrew’s shoulders and down his arms as he kisses Andrew desperately.

Andrew groans against Neil’s lips when Neil finally reaches down wrapping a hand around Andrew’s length, trapped in his boxers, and moves it slowly.

Andrew moves back from Neil’s mouth and ducks his head down to breath hotly against Neil’s chest as Neil continues to stroke Andrew’s dick, eventually moving his hand from outside of Andrew’s boxers to the inside.

“Do you have stuff?” Neil asks softly as Andrew comes apart above Neil.

Andrew pulls up from Neil’s chest to look at him and Neil pauses his hands.

“You want that? Me inside you?”

Neil bites back a whimper at the words and nods quickly.

“Yeah,” His voice is needy even to his own ears. “Do you?”

Andrew nods quickly and moves off him standing up and quickly walking to his suitcase.

Neil takes the opportunity to pull his underwear off, he wraps a hand around his leaking dick, tugging on it slowly.

When Andrew turns back from his suitcase, lube and condoms in hand, he spots Neil and lets out a low curse, looking at him through hooded eyes.

“You just gonna stand there and let me have all the fun?” Neil prompts after a minute of Andrew wordlessly staring at him.

Andrew shakes his head, a small smile playing at his lips as he stalks towards Neil.

When he gets back to the bed he throws the lube and condom down beside Neil and reaches down to take his boxers off, his dick springing free.

Andrew’s dick isn’t overly long but it’s thick and curves up to Andrew’s stomach slightly.

Neil reaches for the lube next to him and opens the cap before it’s quickly snatched out of his hands.

“I want to do it.” Andrew says darkly over him and Neil nods wordlessly at him.

Neil watches as Andrew opens the lube and coats his fingers, he moves to lean over Neil, braced with one hand, when he’s coated three of them.

“You sure about this?”

“Yes.” Neil says and Andrew searches his face before nodding to himself and leaning down to capture Neil’s lips with his own.

At the same moment a fingers traces Neil’s entrance before pushing in slowly.

Neil moans and moves his mouth off Andrew’s tipping his head back and arching his body, already overwhelmed at how good Andrew feels inside him.

Andrew doesn’t move to kiss Neil again instead moving down his body to suck a hardened nipple into his mouth as he slowly pumps his finger in Neil.

“Yes, yes yes!” Neil babbles out between moans. “More, give me more please Drew.”

Andrew quickly obliges, sinking another finger into Neil.

Andrew pulls off Neil’s nipple and Neil looks down when he doesn’t feel Andrew’s mouth again.

When he makes eye contact with Andrew hovering over his dick, Andrew smirks at him before fitting his mouth tightly around Neil’s length and sucking him down as his fingers work in Neil.

“Jesus Christ!” Neil exclaims as he watches Andrew bob up and down on his dick, the tight heat working in tandem with Andrew’s fingers and sending waves of pleasure through Neil.

Neil curses again when Andrew pushes a third finger in along with the other two, his hands flying down to tug at Andrew’s hair.

When the slight burn of stretch that had come with Andrew’s third finger is gone Neil uses the hands locked in Andrew’s hair to tug him off his dick and pull him towards his mouth. Kissing him hotly.

“Fuck me.” Neil says pulling back to say the words against Andrew’s lips.

Andrew seems to be on board with that idea, pulling his fingers out of Neil and reaching for the condom, tucked beside Neil’s torso.

Neil doesn’t object but he might in future when they’ve had time to talk about it, for now he’s too desperate to feel Andrew’s dick inside him.

Neil watches Andrew’s hands as he rolls the condom on and covers himself with lube.

Andrew looks back up at Neil and smiles at him as he moves to hover above him.

“You ready?” He asks.

Andrew brushes the tip of his dick against Neil’s entrance and Neil swallows thickly and nods up at him.

With that, Andrew pushes in slowly.

Neil’s toes curl at the sensation and his hands find their way around Andrew, scratching down Andrew’s back.

Neil let’s out a long moan that is matched with Andrew as he bottoms out.

They stay in that position for a minute, Andrew hovering above Neil as Neil get’s used to the sensation of being stretched out.

“Can I move?” Andrew asks after a few minutes of Neil getting used to the sensation of Andrew inside him.

“Yes.” Neil breathes out and it seems to be all Andrew needs before pulling back and pushing back into Neil quickly.

Neil feels his eye’s roll back into his head as the pleasure of having Andrew inside of him overtakes.

Andrew seems to get quicker as he realises that Neil is comfortable and before long he’s thrusting into Neil at an almost bruising pace. Neil mumbling out encouragement through whimpers and moans.

Neil’s moaning turns even louder when Andrew hits his prostate. Neil’s eye’s fly open and he looks up to see Andrew looking down at where his body is entering Neil’s.

Neil leans up to capture his lips in what isn’t so much a kiss as panting into each other’s mouths as they moan at the sensation of their joined bodies.

Neil reaches his own hand down after a while to work his dick but before he even gets three strokes in Andrew captures it and brings it up above Neil’s head. He reaches out for Neil’s other hand and puts in the same position above Neil’s head.

He laces their fingers together and pushes Neil’s hands down above him, he continues thrusting into Neil, slowing his pace slightly.

“Can you cum untouched?” Andrew grunts out as he continues to push inside of Neil.

“I don’t know.” Neil answers truthfully.

“Want to try?” Andrew asks looking down at him and squeezing his hands where they’re laced with Neil’s.

“Yeah, ok.” Neil says, trusting Andrew to look after him.

Andrew nods, “Let me know if you need a hand ok?”

Neil nods and can’t help a wave of endearment flow through him for the man above him.

Andrew unwinds his hands from where they’re tangled together and instead grabs each of Neil’s wrists in one hand and moves the other down to steady himself against Neil’s hip.

Andrew then starts thrusting into him with earnest, Neil thought Andrew hadn’t been holding back before but now it’s a whole new sensation.

Andrew hit’s against his prostrate with every thrust and his pace quickens to an unforgiving tempo.

Neil’s mind goes fuzzy as the pleasure increases. His dick is aching for contact but Andrew takes his mind off it with his quick thrusts and the way his dick is hitting Neil’s prostate every time causing his orgasm to build in a way it never has before.

Neil’s orgasm takes him by surprise when it happen and he let’s out a loud moan when his dick twitches and his orgasm washes over him, causing his brain to go blank and his body to give in to the pleasure rolling through him.

Andrew follows close behind Neil, thrusting in a few more times before he groans and stills inside him.

Neil feels Andrew’s dick twitch as he spills into the condom and Neil pulls Andrew down against him as he finishes, kissing him slowly as they both come down from their highs.

After a minute Andrew pulls out of Neil, making Neil winch slightly. Andrew pulls the condom off tying it and throwing it in the bins general direction.

Andrew flops down beside him, both of their breathes slowing and their bodies cooling, when realisation hits Neil.

“You kissed me on stage!” He yells turning to look up at where Andrew is laying above him.

“Yeah.” Andrew pauses before a slow smile spreads on his lips, “Wymack is gonna kill me.”

He laughs before turning on his side to face Neil.

“Worth it though.” He says before leaning forward to kiss Neil softly.

“You’re so cheesy.” Neil laughs and lightly shoves at Andrew’s chest when he pulls back.

“Does this mean we’re boyfriends?” Neil asks as they look at one another.

“Do you want to be?” Andrew asks him, reaching up to run his thumb along Neil’s cheekbone.

Neil nods at him, fighting not to close his eye’s against the tiredness that is now hitting him.

“Do you?” He asks, his eye’s only half open.

Andrew nods as well.

“Alright then, _boyfriend_.” Neil says emphasising the word.

Andrew rolls his eyes at Neil.

“You’re an idiot.” He mumbles.

“Yeah, your idiot boyfriend.” Neil says, laughing at his own joke.

“Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?” Andrew says but he’s got a broad smile on his face.

Andrew moves his hand of Neil’s face and reaches it down to wrap around Neil’s waist, pulling him in and snuggling them together.

“I should probably clean up.” Neil says with a yawn, the cum on his stomach has cooled and it will be a real bitch to clean off in the morning.

Andrew groans, “I’m comfy.” He says pulling Neil closer.

Andrew starts moving his hand around, searching the bed for something, he eventually finds Neil’s underwear which had been tossed to the side earlier and reaches down with them to wipe the mess off of Neil’s stomach before tossing the underwear to the side.

“There.” Andrew says, closing his eyes and pulling Neil in.

Neil lets out a contented noise and closes his own eye’s thankful that Andrew now can’t see the cheesy grin he’s wearing as he tucks his head against Andrew’s chest.

He knows in the morning he’ll have to deal with Dan and Wymack and the press but for the moment he let’s himself be happy in the arms of his new boyfriend and possibly the greatest thing to ever happen to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh!! It's all done!! I really hoped you liked it.  
> The artist for this fic is the lovely TeoMoy (who you can find her on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TeoMoy), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/teomoy/) and [Tumblr](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/)).  
> Thank you again to everyone for reading, as always kudos and comments are really appreciated.
> 
> LINK TO ALL THE ARTWORK FOR THIS FIC [HERE](https://teomoy.tumblr.com/post/645798676031258624/successful-but-infamous-rapper-andrew-is-forced)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the fic!!  
> Comments and kudos are always super duper appreciated.  
> You can come say hi to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bri_ghtly2) if you'd like.  
> Thank you so much for reading, the next chapter will be posted in four days!!


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